Romaine Washington
poet*author*educator |
So What's Your Story?
mama said take those words go on upstairs see what you can make
the girl went up and came down with a wadded ball of poetry in her left eye mama said get that out your eye and sent her back upstairs the girl came down with wadded balls of poetry in both eyes before mama could say anything the girl opened her mouth her tongue stretched into a long rambling line of poetry that filled up the room poems swirled around in the house and spilled out the door stopped at the feet of an old man with a shopping cart in the street talking about how he met the goddess of all things survived and she was poem and she was good he turned his head to stare at me standing underneath a sycamore tree and he asked . . . |
We all have a story to tell.
Although there are commonalities, each story we live is unique and our voice - if it is ours - is unique. Sometimes it's difficult to find our voice and even difficult to recognize our own voice when we hear it. There are two Joseph Campbell quotes that encourage me to explore my stories and give them voice. The first quote is, The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. There are sorrows and disappointments that have been a source of pain and shame, but when I confront them and give them voice the experiences breathe into a place that hopefully creates valued connections with you. And the second quote is, We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us. This quote encourages me to continue to grow and allow life to surprise me. In this freedom I move forward out of a cocoon of silence and into a place of voice and strength. It is my hope that my stories connect with you, evoke dialogue, reflection and the desire to answer the question and continue answering the question: What's your story?
Although there are commonalities, each story we live is unique and our voice - if it is ours - is unique. Sometimes it's difficult to find our voice and even difficult to recognize our own voice when we hear it. There are two Joseph Campbell quotes that encourage me to explore my stories and give them voice. The first quote is, The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. There are sorrows and disappointments that have been a source of pain and shame, but when I confront them and give them voice the experiences breathe into a place that hopefully creates valued connections with you. And the second quote is, We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us. This quote encourages me to continue to grow and allow life to surprise me. In this freedom I move forward out of a cocoon of silence and into a place of voice and strength. It is my hope that my stories connect with you, evoke dialogue, reflection and the desire to answer the question and continue answering the question: What's your story?
Sirens in Her Belly Units
Click on the tabs below for unit lessons you can use to teach my book, Sirens in Her Belly, or any other book.
Romaine Washington photo by Marcus Muscato