I was inspired by a display of leadership among CPS principals who are impacting more than 40,000 lives in Chicago. They are leaders among the blues - blues that began in the Mississippi Delta and made their way to Chicago. Let the writing begin.
Blue Light Leadership
by
al tatum
1/15/2013
1:05am
Traveling down dark back Mississippi roads
Juke joint drivin’
Under the bright lights of Chicago’s streets
Where bullets of hatred rain down on me
Not from southern pistols
But from northern dashed hopes
Under city viaducts and school buildings
Where the blues outweigh the spirituals
Blue light schooling
Juke joint learnin’
Damn textbooks done dried up my imagination
Blue light schooling
Juke joint learnin’
New lights a’ coming
Bright lights traveling together
Double and triple-timing
40,000 followers
Black, brown, and white flowers stunted by blue lights
Now growing
Ain’t got the blues no mo’
Got leadership
Blue light leadership
Mississippi roads
Chicago streets
Ain’t afraid no mo’
Got leadership
Blue light leadership
Welcome everyone! What a great way to stir up our wonderful imaginations of what writing is and what writing can do for us.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite line was "Damn textbooks done dried up my imagination" especially since we talked about the power of text selection for instruction. I also love "Black, brown, and white flowers stunted by blue lights" as we prepare to be stunted by language too.
Looking forward to reading all the writing that will emerge this semester and beyond!
Gholdy