Grades 11–12
PoetryWritingTalk Properly she says
I was about 4
And fresh out of GT
I didn’t understand why the
White lady with
The funny voice
Was talking about my speech
Speak Properly she says
But
I wanted to fit in with everyone
And speak English
I wanted so badly to go home
To the palm trees
To the sun
To run barefoot
I didn’t want to be the person they turned to in class
When Caribbean people were briefly mentioned
But I always
Remembered to talk Properly
Even when the lady at the supermarket
Tried to accuse me of stealing
How badly I wanted to stop
Talking in this stupid white gibberish proper shit
How badly I wanted cuss her out
And tell her about herself
But I didn’t
I always remembered to speak Properly
From Radiant Beings: Poetry by 826NYC Students at the Academy for Young Writers, 2022
No materials available for download.
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In this letter from the Essential Words lesson, a senior at South High School in Minneapolis offers words of support to healthcare workers across the country, including her own mom.
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A rousing public narrative from an author coming to terms with their identity as a young Chinese American woman and what they represent: the community of Boston's Chinatown.
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