Wormfood....

There are those who scorn Her
but we come from Her.
She provides.
And when we grow old in our skins
and tired of mind
we return
& dissolve/resolve in Her embrace.
Total erasure of memory banks.

1997

I use this lesson for older students, highschool and above.

Write this poem on the board or pass out paper copies (double spaced). Give the students time with dictionaries to translate difficult words and see if they can figure out the puzzle. Then ask students to share their discoveries in a circle.

Things to point out after this first step.

1. This is a non-rhyming poem.
2. The fact that it is a puzzle adds interest.
3. The word Her is used 3 times and capitalized. "She" is also capitalized intentionally. This is a hint to the puzzle, but can also obscure.
4. Perhaps now, as teacher, you see this is a poem about soil or earth. It comes from my background of botany and gardening.
5. Some people scorn the good earth and even refer to it as dirt. In the same way farmers and manual labor are often scorned by many in a world obsessed with gadgets.
6. Now everything becomes clear. We come from the earth. She, the earth, provides our food and so much else.
7. Growing old in our skin and tired of mind means bodily aging.
8. Returning to earth comes with burial and here it is described as a mother's embrace or that of an earth goddess.
9. Total erasure of memory banks is what upsets a lot of people about death. They want a soul, they want to believe that memories and awareness do not die. Point out to students that human art, architecture, science, engineering and writing have preserved the memories of the dead. Thus we have become more than food for worms, as suggested in the title.
10. Ask students if they can write a puzzle similar to this poem in just 8 lines. You can coach them to get started: For example, say the following with real feeling and drama:

1. round like the moon
2. wet like the sea
3. cool like the forest
4. sweet like my love
5. firm like your flesh
6. good like the air
7. held in my hand
8. bright like the sun

An orange!
Copyright 2005 Robin Tim Day