With this noted, as part of the events for today I opted to allude to Alexander's great text through writing my own "As In" poem to as away to introduce myself to the students who have read his book. I want to be just like Josh, as in hip with language, full of pep, and on top of his game. I have to admit, however, that I got this great idea from Kaitlyn Kelly, Gina Forberg, and Attallah Sheppard who assisted their young writers this summer as they read The Crossover during the Young Adult Literacy Labs.
So, here is my introductory poem for the workshop (breaking out of my typical style and rhythm into a style that I admire from The Rooster). Cockledoodledoo.
As In, I am Just Bryan
I am Bryan,
a professor at Fairfield U...
As in, I read a lot of books,
a few thousand books,
& keep my nose behind computers
to learn more about my world….
I am Bryan, a reader...
As in I am a library nerd
who is totally proud of losing himself in
words (those brain turds) & the worlds
that flutter before me like birds
across the universe and sky,
while I rehearse my ways of knowing,
always willing to fly.
across the universe and sky,
while I rehearse my ways of knowing,
always willing to fly.
I am Bryan, a son of a Butch,
upstate New Yawker
and middle child of three.
As in, I have two sisters,
and got blamed
for leaving the toilet seat up,
and for torturing Barbie Dolls.
As in, I got grounded and
my sisters stuck their tongues
out at me, simply because I
stand up when I pee.
I am Bryan, a madman
who empties the ocean
with a fork,
As in, face it, I know that I’m a dork
and like Sisyphus, I must
push that boulder up a hill.
I am Bryan, a teacher,
who has taught for twenty years…
As in these gray hairs
contain history, culture, and
the stories of a 1000 kids.
As in, I don’t mind chalk,
or giving homework,
or being a jerk in order
to help others succeed….
supporting an intellectual journey
is all I’ll ever need.
I am Bryan, a doer, who doesn’t mind doing,
as long as something is getting done…
As in I support relocated youth,
refugees, and believe in their American future…
As in, I run 5K in New Haven every February
to raise awareness of global realities…
to raise awareness of global realities…
As in, no matter how stressed out I am,
I know that others struggle more…
As in, for every minute I spend in self-pity,
I lose 60-seconds of making this world
a better place.
I am Bryan,
a crazy man,
a looney-tune,
and a big baboon who laughs
his way through life….
As in, I don’t mind dressing up as
Dr. Clueless, even with autographed
Missy Elliot Adidas sneakers around my neck…
As in, I have more toys than ToysRUs,
and never pass a gum-ball machine,
without putting in a quarter (or two)
I am Bryan, a poet,
who plays with language when
finger tapping a piano keyboard
in search of better perspectives
than the limitations set forth by my eyes…
As in, the thesaurus is my friend…
and I keep word journals and
love to listen to the ways people speak.
As in, I stink at basketball, but
do mean crossovers with ideas.
As in, you are a poem,
and it is my hope to read you.
I am Bryan, an advocate for
writing our lives…
As in, I will go to my grave
fighting for better teachers
and opportunities for young
people like you to achieve…
As in, I don’t matter nearly
as much as
YOU DO…
and nothing makes me happier
than seeing YOU and YOUR teachers
shouting out what you need to say
to anyone and everyone
willing to listen.
As in, it’s your time to scream
to the galaxies above.
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