http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/rives_controls_the_internet.html
How many poets could cram eBay, Friendster and Monster.com into 3-minute poem worthy of a standing ovation? Enjoy Rives’ unique talent.
Storyteller, writer and slam poet Rives has appeared on the last three seasons of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and was a member of the Def Poetry Jam international touring group. Offstage, Rives designs….
Poem by L from 8th Grade Publication Canned Brainfood circa 2004/5
Broken Mirror
Destiny Waited at her door,
Looking through the key hole,
The dice rattled in his hands,
It was luck that would make her win
Life is a game,
With endless twists and turns,
And one’s got to learn the rules,
Go by them,
or break them.
She was taught to go by them.
She learnt to let fate rule her life,
And not to have control of her destiny,
She learnt to have no faith in life,
As the world had failed her.
She learnt to have no trust in people.
As people let her down.
She learnt to accept failures in relationships,
But never patch them.
She learnt to stare into the crack in the mirror.
And never mend it.
She learnt to mourn the past,
And watch the present go by.
Trapped behind the glass,
Traveling in the endless ocean,
She knew no where to go.
No stars are shining for her,
No angels are guiding her way.
She sees no light,
For her eyes are shut.
The waves swept her away.
Far from her illusionary dreams,
And back to reality.
The darkness mocked her,
The screaming silence destroyed her,
No shadow cast on the water,
For it has betrayed her,
At the darkest times,
When no light could be spared by the darkness.
The silver linings on the clouds,
Broke through the silence,
Casting its first glory on her.
She opened her eyes,
And learnt to see colors in her life.
Looking into the cracked mirror,
Her reflection stared blankly back at her.
She saw a micacle,
As the crack began to mend.
She was the miracle.
Sam
Sam is my friend,
An amicable one,
Smiling always,
At everyone
A thriving mustache,
With snow white hair,
Those smiling eyes,
And a tanned, tired face.
The rough, warm hand,
A special connection,
A unique spark
A symbol of friendship.
Peace is his dream,
His biggest will,
A day without poverty,
A moment without hatred.
Sewing up rips,
Fixing cracks,
Mending relationships,
Like what fishermen do,
to their very own nets.
Hunting for words,
His whole life through,
Drowning in pool of adverbs,
Swimming in the sea of nouns.
Then add in humor,
And pour in thoughtfulness,
Then sprinkle on top
A kind, caring heart.
Sam is my friend,
An old wise buddy,
Who gives birth to a duckling.
But not a moose.
Amazon.com Review
Sometimes, even in the middle of ugliness and neglect, a little bit of beauty will bloom. Award-winning writer Paul Fleischman dazzles us with this truth in Seedfolks–a slim novel that bursts with hope. Wasting not a single word, Fleischman unfolds a story of a blighted neighborhood transformed when a young girl plants a few lima beans in an abandoned lot. Slowly, one by one, neighbors are touched and stirred to action as they see tendrils poke through the dirt. Hispanics, Haitians, Koreans, young, and old begin to turn the littered lot into a garden for the whole community. A gift for hearts of all ages, this gentle, timeless story will delight anyone in need of a sprig of inspiration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seedfolks
Seedfolks
