Tinikling Between Two Wor(l)ds

As mentioned, our gathering was not only a sharing of his story but of history. For this week, I want you to retell a story that is not often included in the history textbooks. It can be your own story or from someone you know—sibling, cousin, parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, neighbor, friend.

Focus on one specific moment or event. War, immigration, emigration, discrimination, acculturation, death, accomplishment, contribution.

Feel free to interview others and/or conduct research that might help to better understand the time period.

I want you to think about a time when you did not feel included. Describe the setting: home, park, playground, school, classroom, church, temple, cafeteria, table, store, street. What caused your feeling of alienation, difference, and/or discomfort? Was it a person (or group of people), a sign (or other form of print), or a norm (such as a status quo)?

Tell your story. You might shed light on a microaggression or a blatant/intentional act. Either way, someone reading your writing might relate to a similar circumstance while others might learn something they did not know or notice. Conversations can lead to understanding and clarify misunderstandings. Your words have power.

LL: So, my prompt for your listeners is to think of a person who has impacted your life in a positive way--that you see as your hero.

For this week, I want you to focus on an important cultural aspect you want others to learn or better understand. It can center around a particular food, custom, celebration, dance, etc. Is the item or ritual symbolic of something else? Are there any misconceptions? How will you carry this tradition to future generations?

Create a poem where you are answering a question: What does it mean to be ____? You can focus on a noun: an athlete, a nerd, a sister/brother, a cousin, a friend, a Catholic, a Muslim, an atheist, an outcast. Or, you can focus on an adjective or state of being: invisible, lonely, happy, depressed, objectified, seen. You might want to consider turning it into a group poem where, like the original version of this project, the title becomes a transition between each speaker.

This was a fun poem to create because I was passionate about the topic and vision. Having a finite amount of topics and stanzas provided me with structure. My challenge for you is to anchor a group of things that have some sort of connection–three branches of government, four horsemen, five stages of grief, five food groups, seven days in a week, seven deadly sins. If possible, personify one of those categories and have that character encounter (or embody) a misunderstanding, unlikely hero, victim turned vigilante, or some other concept. For example, imagine the five food groups as siblings while highlighting the insecurity of your main character (one of the categories).

Near the end of the poem, I describe myself as a bridge. Many of us had to assume that role at some point; therefore, I want you to write about a time in which you served as a link between two ideas/concepts/people/moments. Maybe you were a translator in the literal, cultural, or generational sense. Describe how you had to navigate the meeting, appointment, transaction. Or, perhaps you will explore a coming of age theme that links your old and new self—growing out of something and transforming into something/someone new. It could also focus on something more abstract (like a moment or an idea).

Explore your two worlds through words. Jump in and out of the cultures/ideas/perspectives. Was it a burden, honor, privilege? How did it shape you?