Wisdom Revolution: Trying Something New

Wisdom Revolution: Trying Something New
A Re-creation* of "Writing in the Dark" by Denise Levertov

A universal truth
Shouted with urgency
To the tumbling toddler
Is not heard

The same universal truth
Shouted with the same urgency
Leaves the child confused

Then, with the consciousness,
The inevitable, stark awakening
Of adulthood's challenges
The light in the dark is rediscovered



*Re-creation as described in Teaching Literacy for Love and Wisdom: Being the Book and Being the Change by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm and Bruce Novak, "[Participants] are first read a short poem; then, as it is read again, they circle the words that resonated with them; finally, they write their own poems, in 2 1/2 minutes, the time [Gabriele] Rico has found optimal for creativity" (Page 60).  It should be noted that in between circling words that resonate and writing one's own poem, there is a clustering stage in which participants use free association to write down words they connect the words they circled in the poem.  This clustering technique was also developed by Gabriele Rico.