Sharing Poetry

Whenever we read or hear a poem, each one of us has our own interpretation of what the author is trying to convey. Deciphering poetry is like looking at a painting: everyone gets a different feeling. There's no wrong interpretation unless you're taking a test.

After I shared my "Exotic Birds" (4/24/06 entry) with some immigration detainees in the GED class, they drew blanks. However, after I explained my motivation for the poem, they all asked me for a copy. They just needed some guidance to understand the words that they wouldn't find to share their feelings.

It feels good to know people always appreciate poetry no matter where they are.