22 Jun Giving Emotions a Voice
Joseph Fasano felt stuck. He was asked to give a talk to a group of 2nd-grade students in New
Jersey on the art of poetry. He thought about reading some of his own poems and explaining
poetry structure and rhythm, but he wanted to make poetry relatable and allow the students to
connect with the magic of words on a personal level.
Then he had an idea. He devised a simple prompt with fill-in-the-blank elements to encourage
the students to write their own poetry.
He reviewed basic elements of language, teaching the students about nouns, adjectives, and
verbs, and then he handed each child a piece of paper with a simple prompt that would allow
them to create their own poem. The prompt looked like this:
My name is (name).
Today I feel like a/an (adjective) (noun) (verb)ing in the (noun).
Sometimes I am a/an (noun).
Sometimes I am a/an (noun).
But always I am (adjective).
I ask the world, “(question)?”
And the answer is a/an (repeat words from line 2).
The students eagerly embraced the prompt—their faces transformed with anticipation and
curiosity as they began to write. Their emotions began to take shape on the paper.
What emerged was nothing short of astonishing—feelings woven into words that revealed
profound and deep-seated emotions.
With permission, Fasano shared their creations online along with the original prompt, and the
response was overwhelming. People of all ages, from diverse backgrounds and circumstances,
used the prompt and poured their hearts out in their own poetic expressions. All around the
world, people found a voice through this tangible form.
I came across some of these poems and thought I would share one with you. This came from a
young 10-year-old girl in Ukraine who was being homeschooled during air raid alerts.
Translated into English, these are her poignant words:
My name is Anastasiya.
Today I feel like one girl dancing in the ash.
Sometimes I am a bird.
Sometimes I am a silent bird.
But always I am here.
I ask the world, “What does hope look like?”
And the answer is one girl dancing in the ash.
The act of expressing our emotions, giving them a voice, and creating a space for others to do
the same can lead to emotional healing. As Mister Rogers told us as children, emotions made
mentionable become manageable. When we give people the space to feel their emotions and
encourage open dialogue about their feelings, they become less overwhelming.
Maybe you’d like to try the prompt as well. What emotions might flow onto the page as you
unleash your own inner poet?
My name is (name).
Today I feel like a/an (adjective) (noun) (verb)ing in the (noun).
Sometimes I am a/an (noun).
Sometimes I am a/an (noun).
But always I am (adjective).
I ask the world, “(question)?”
And the answer is a/an (repeat words from line 2).