In fact, I hadn t expected it. But I guess the youngsters in my class felt I had some rhythm to give a poem. The teacher told us a poem had to have rhythm. A hand shoots up, a definition is shouted out, and the discussion begins. Misery is sadness.
Misery is madness.
Most know well what misery is, although some don t know it by that name. I ask, because I want to show them that it s not just one thing, that it s different for everyone, but also the same for everyone. They call out words, associations, opinions pain, suffering, hurt. On the board, I make a list of all the things that misery is, which will be available for them to use when they begin writing. That evolved into an exploration of prejudice, stereotypes, and the impulse to categorize people.