A common household object became the focus of this lesson while studying Joy Harjo’s poem, Perhaps The World Ends Here. The poet James Merrill once commented, ‘we understand history from the family around the table.’
Lesson Note: Harjo’s work is often autobiographical, informed by the natural world, and above all preoccupied with survival and the limitations of language.
“I feel strongly that I have a responsibility to all the sources that I am: to all past and future ancestors, to my home country, to all places that I touch down on and that are myself, to all voices, all women, all of my tribe, all people, all earth, and beyond that to all beginnings and endings. In a strange kind of sense [writing] frees me to believe in myself, to be able to speak, to have voice, because I have to; it is my survival.” -Joy Harjo.
Ms. Wright, 7th Grade
At Table
by Noah C.
At this table we laugh
bringing joy
I celebrate at this table
someone else
We talk at this
table with family
We express ourselves
With enjoyment
I hug to love
my parents
At The Table
by Jasmine T.
At this table, we laugh, bringing joy
We celebrate at this table
someone else
At this table, people gossip about others
we play, making it more exciting
Reading and writing
Talking about the events that took
place that day
New shows that came out, distracting yourself
from a bad day
We celebrate holidays with others
Talk about school
Talk about the future.
Ms. Wright, 7th Grade
At Table
by Maximus G.
At the table, I gossip
I’m talkative and joyful
At the table, we celebrate
We enjoy the important times of life
Without the table, we can’t argue or have
yelling, and respectful disagreements
With this table, I do homework
study, then get bored
On the table, we play board games
bringing happiness, smiles, and yelling
At this table we have fun.
My World on a Table
by Vincent L.
This world placed into a small wooden board called
a table
like a board, ideas are made
whether it’s a potion or spaghetti bolangase
no matter how many ideas are created
it all has to get cleaned up
battles are fought
some without an ending
Food is taken without a second thought
