POETRY FRIDAY

"Problems"

 by Langston Hughes

2 and 2 are 4

4 and 4 are 8

But what would happen

if the last 4 was late?

Read the rest of the poem here.

OK, I'm finally going to admit it. I think I might be a little bit of a literary nerd. I love, love, love when I find literary connections within books, and especially within children's books. And in this week's read, HOLD FAST by Blue Balliet,  I found a doozy.

HOLD FAST is the story of the Pearl family- Dashel and Summer, and their children Early and Jubilee. Dash and Summer were teen parents, and the family is money-poor, so poor that they live in a one-room apartment in Chicago. They are rich in that they cherish each other-- Early truly believes that there is no other Dashsumearlyjubie family in the world. Dash, who grew up in the foster care system,  loves, loves, loves words, and especially loves the poetry of Langston Hughes and instills that same love in his children. Everyone in the family knows that when Jubie is old enough for school, Summer will get a job, and then Dash, currently a page at the Harold Washington Library, will go to college.

But then tragedy strikes. One cold January day, Dash doesn't come home from work. His bike, groceries, and a small pocket notebook are found three blocks from home. And soon, Summer, Early, and Jubilee, find themselves in a homeless shelter. Her mother is totally overwhelmed, and Early finds herself taking care of the family while attempting to solve the mystery of her father's disappearance.

I loved this book. I woke up at 4:39 this morning, considered going back to sleep, but then decided to get up and finish reading, because I wanted to know what happened to Dash. I loved that the students at my school (95% free lunch and many who have lived through periods of homelessness) will be able to see that they are not alone. I loved that Early does not allow the difficulties of her situation or the meanness of other kids, to beat her into the ground.

And most of all, I loved how author Blue Balliet wove Langston Hughes' poetry throughout the text.The Pearl family owns THE FIRST BOOK OF RHYTHMS, one of the few picture books written by Langston Hughes. It's not poetry, but it makes a great found poem:

"RHYTHM"

Listen 

to the rhythm

to your heart…

Ka- BUMP

Ka-BUMP

Ka-BUMP.

the  flow 

of thoughts and emotions

can change 

this rhythm 

for a while. 

Bad thoughts

upset the heart.

Happy thoughts

do not disturb it

unless they are 

sudden surprises. 

Usually, 

however, 

the heart pumps

the same number 

of beats 

steadily…

Ka- BUMP

Ka-BUMP

Ka-BUMP.

The rhythm 

of the heart

 

is the first

and most important 

rhythm of human life.

Dash frequently asked himself , "What's the rhythm, Langston?" and Early finds herself asking that same question as she attempts to solve the mystery of her father's disappears. Langston Hughes' poetry comforts and encourages Early as she lives with the huge hole in her family. I wonder how many of the kids I know might find this same comfort…

You can read other POETRY FRIDAY offerings at Today's Little Ditty.