Our class began with a discussion of food and memory in preparation for studying Gary Soto’s Narrative-Style poem, Oranges. Nostalgia and feelings came up frequently in our discussions. What emotions are attached to memory and food? Why? Do memories change as time goes by? How? Below are some examples of students’ work.
Lesson Note: This session included a student group performance/ Poet’s Theater presentation of the poem. Here, the young writers are asked to improvise, collaborate, utilize props, and present a performance to their peers quickly. To ‘physicalize’ the poem quickly, removes the ‘inner editor’ and place the poem inside the body via muscle memory. It also allows a myriad of options for the poem’s interpretation. At the end of the residency, ‘Oranges’ is usually the poem that is remembered most.
Rice
By Cecilia R.
From Japan, to Hawaii, to Mexico
These places all have rice
Dinner, dessert, breakfast,
The memories of eating this multi-flavor food
Desserts like Arroz Con Leche
Rice with veggies for breakfast
Rice with tacos
This reminds me of my culture
My ears hearing my mom pouring rice into the pan
I know what that means
The cylinder shape filling up the plate
I’m excited to eat
The smells of garlic, onions, and vegetables fill the air and make my nose tingle
Making me feel even more hungry
Feeling the touch of the grains fly across my mouth
This is home
french fries
By Austin H.
As I walked into my nearest restaurant
I smelt the nice aroma of the delicious
dishes around me. I went to go sit down
the waiter asked me, “What would you like
to order?” I said. “l would like to order french
fries.” when she served it to me, I just felt
like I wanted to dive right in the warm, savory
french fries, people outside saw the french fries
and must’ve probably thought the french fries
we’re a lit-up plate.
Ms. Wright, 7th Grade
Ice Cream from the Past
By Wenxi C.
I can still remember that Sunday afternoon
The sweet taste of that vanilla ice cream
It was a treat
Playing in that playplace
The distinct smell of sweat and kids
Always a few stray nuggets scattered around
I was always excited when my mom ordered the vanilla ice cream
When I got it, I immediately got to work
Licking, savoring that soft texture and sweet taste
Cold, refreshing in the hot summer heat
The cone always crunchy when bit
It was a sign that my reward was almost gone
After I finished, we went back to our house
I slept, thinking about vanilla ice cream
Wishing that I could have one more small taste
Ice Cream
By Kenny H.
Ice cream is so good during the summer
That it can make you smell flavored snow.
It was a day during the summer, and there would
Be an ice cream truck coming down the street
Almost every single day. One day, when
I was at home when I heard an ice cream truck coming.
I went to my mom and asked her to buy ice cream
Specifically vanilla flavor out of the
Many different types, and I was too scared
To go outside and buy it alone and talk to the person.
I tasted the ice cream when she came back, and it
Tasted wonderful, delicious, and cold. The
Feeling felt like denser snow
With some sauce mixed with it. It also
Looked like snow with some tiny lines
Indent in it. It Cooled my body down
From the heat of the sun. When you
Touch it with your warm hands, it
Melts just like snow. Snow reminds
Me of vanilla flavored ice cream.
Maybe ice cream has a reason to exist,
To cool us all down from the coolness of the
Ice cream.
