I had to memorize a poem for 6th grade science. (Ms. Vaughn was a little weird, I don't think Science was her thing, but there was a purpose behind it.) So I picked a poet that I have always loved. Shel Silverstein. You can interpret it anyway you like, but here's what I think it means. You can and should listen to all the people that tell you CAN'T do something, it only gives you fuel to light the fire within you. This poem I had to recite in front of the class. As a 6th grader this is terrifying, so I picked something that while I was saying it, it would grow with strength and impact. As you read this little poem it becomes bigger than the 8 lines its made up of. It grows with power and allows the reader to grasp something they may not have had before reading it. One of my former students who lives in Egypt did some sayings for me in Arabic and one of them was the "girl with the heart of a lion". She said the more you recite it the more meaning it has and strength builds for you to believe in the power of the words. I believe the same is true for these 8 lines. The more times you recite it to yourself the more power it has. Anything CAN happen, anything CAN be. So even back in 6th grade I was grabbing hold of my strength to get through having to stand in front of the class and say this. The last few days I was reciting this in my head and it made me smile, because I am in a place right now where I can listen to all the MUSTN'TS, the DON'TS, etc and let them get me down. I have decided that reciting this will grow with power and overshadow the negative and be the positive LIGHT I need in my life right now. So I thank Ms. Vaughn and her strange little assignment she had us do before we cut into Kermit. .
LISTEN TO THE MUSTN'TS
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WONT'S
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me-
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be
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