MIDDLE SCHOOL HAY(NA)KU IN OAKLAND!

I've always thought the hay(na)ku to be a great teaching tool for poetry. So I was delighted to learn that poet-teacher Oscar Bermeo used the hay(na)ku for Middle Schoolers from East Oakland's St. Anthony School. As samples, the students were introduced to Monica Fauble's wonderful hay(na)ku from THE FIRST HAY(NA)KU ANTHOLOGY co-edited by Mark Young and Jean Vengua! The students have already written some wonderful verse, including:

Oakland
trees shaking
leaves to ground

Shaking
shaking life
is breaking down.
—Ruben


Dead

What
are people
with no soul?
—Luis


Not
the best
place but home.
—Iliana


Wasabi

I
hate wasabi
teriyaki is better

much
better than
wasabi because it’s

like
barbecue sauce
and banana leaf.
—Hiue

Oscar continues to work with the students to help them expand their writings. Their hay(na)ku will be published in a volume produced by the Center for the Art of Translation. Fabulous news! And fabulous job to Oscar!