Digital poetry project with adult English learners

Remember Me 

I speak Tagalog and Bisaya very well I speak English well I started studying English When I was thirty-five I speak it at home At school With my friends I read books with my son To help me learn English I would like to learn Spanish one day By A

I cannot remember the name of my school principal When I was in grade three. He was kind. Sometimes I remember my friends from school Playing sports when we finished class Eating at our neighbour’s house I am sure I remember touching my mother’s face Her hair and soft arms I remember eating the delicious food she made Biryani, kibbeh and dolma I hear the sounds of pigeons in my son's house The smell of rose and gardenia in my house in Baghdad My son tells me to stop cleaning But I like my garden By A

I cannot remember how many years have gone Since I smelled abebe on the roads of Addis Ababa Sometimes I remember eating delicious roasted corn Any time of the day The crabs on the beach The good smell of fish That I just caught and cooked I am sure I remember climbing the big rock As a child And I can see all of the city, the whole country I can see farms and a lot of trees I can see the sunflowers I hear the people singing and dancing in my aunty’s wedding Now I don’t dance at all by A

My name means The strong one. My dad gave me my name. I grew up in Knafna, A small town in Eritrea, Close to Asmara. When I was young, I liked to play Jumping rope with my brothers and cousins. By K

I cannot remember Shen Yang much now I have not been home for fourteen years I am sure it has changed a lot now Sometimes I remember when houses Were very small and old There were plenty of bicycles, motorcycles And occasionally, a few cars on the dilapidated roads And I am sure I remember childhood playmates Riding bikes and climbing trees Flying kites I made with my father by J

And I am sure I remember one afternoon in July The year nineteen-ninety We all ran out of a friend’s house The house was shaking The ground was shaking Our voices were shaking Our world was shaken by J

My name means Allah's gift My grandfather gave me this name When I was young, I worked In the farm with my family In 2013, I came to Australia In 2021, I started studying English Now, I work in a farm again And I speak English With the other workers. By R

l cannot remember my dog’s name He was running to me Sometimes I remember my cat, Rebecca Sleeping on her small bed in the corner Of the dining room And I am sure I remember The frogs coming to my garden Croaking after the rains The elephants drinking in the Blue Nile Everybody swims in the river But be careful Don’t get eaten by the crocodiles or the snakes by A

I cannot remember the house I grew up in The streets or the neighbourhoods in Mandala Sometimes I remember hearing my Grandma’s dog barking Playing and chasing my cousins I remember touching the calves in the shed Listening to the noisy chickens clucking at night So I could not go to sleep And I am sure I remember My grandmother looking after me When my mum went to work Maybe in the big city My grandmother made me sleep with the chickens When I don’t listen to her But most of all I remember She hugged me a lot By A

by Pre B Class Australia, Term 2 2021

I left Brazil almost three years ago I don’t remember the smell of my lovely nephews One of them was born two years ago I still don’t know him personally But I still remember some things The green of the forests And the warm and humidity of summer. The smell of bread from the bakery on my street I can remember My father’s affectionate touch The songs he whistles The taste and smell of my mother’s banana cakes by K

I remember Shanghai The music from the radio My mother calling me Shanghai is a bustling city I remember playing ball with my dog in the park I like to touch my dog and cat My silk dress and my son's hair by WX

Sometimes I remember Watching the sunrise in my country The parrots chirping in the garden of our house The smell of the ground when it rains And I am sure I remember the smell of coffee From my mother's hand in the morning Holding my children when they were young Eating the best cake my wife made after our wedding by N

I cannot remember the words to the songs we sang when the teacher&nbsp; got tired of talking to the class.&nbsp;&nbsp; I cannot remember the names&nbsp; of the students who sat on the old wooden desks&nbsp; while a handful of us had to stand at the back.&nbsp; Sometimes I remember the teacher calling my name But I could not answer her questions Sometimes I remember sitting in the grass With friends, waiting for the next class Waiting for the handsome seniors to walk by Waiting for the school day to end

I remember baking tannoor bread with my mother The bread is ready when the fire dies I remember feeding chicken and pigeons in our garden My mother had a cow Which we milked in the morning And in the afternoons I am sure I remember Harvesting grapes from the vines Straw baskets on our heads I remember how we make bulgur Mix with sugar, dry in the sun for five days Take out from fire, grind at home Serve frekeh with lamb or chicken, especially for visitors by G

I cannot remember ever going to Khabul It was not safe for me Sometimes I remember The smell of jasmine in my home Helping mum with washing clothes Vacuuming the rooms Cooking chicken with tomato, ginger and chilli And I am sure I remember Watching Bollywood movies With my brothers and sisters Or going to the park For a picnic with the family And eating mango ice cream in the summer by H

I cannot remember Crying in Damascus Sometimes I remember The noodles soup my mother cooked The chocolate ice cream I bought for my children Coffee and smoking and talking with my husband And I am sure I remember The moon and stars from my roof garden Afternoon naps The jasmine in my garden Baking bread with my mother My mother could not read or write But she wanted us to go to school She was harsh on us in this respect But she was right all along by K

My name means strong. My dad gave me my name. I grew up in Gelephu, A small city in Bhutan. When I was young, I used to ride bikes And help at home. by B

I am sure I remember The barley grains I ate so much as a child Eating it with yoghurt Drinking milk every day When I was young My mother washed my hair in the river And I sat quietly While she braided my hair I remember our farm animals Sheep, dogs, cats and donkeys Riding Baba's camel by K

I remember Jhapa A small city on the plains of Nepal I hear neighbours talking Children playing I remember the markets where you can buy Clothes, shoes, mobiles TV, laptops, rice, buffalo meat And all kinds of food Except for beef You can go to jail for that I lived in a small house With three bedrooms I remember lots of food and music When we have parties With my family by H

This term, we read 'A new life' by Paula Withers. We used Hawa's story to talk about our names, languages and childhood memories. Our poems were inspired by Rabindranath Tagore's 'I cannot remember my mother' and Ftoun Abou Kerech's 'The Doves of Damascus'. We also talked about a special place in our lives. We talked about the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of that place. PreB class, thank you for sharing your precious memories. --Jemima

Cover Picture: <a href="https://pixabay.com/vectors/camera-hand-drawn-old-nostalgia-4091991/">https://pixabay.com/vectors/camera-hand-drawn-old-nostalgia-4091991/</a>

I cannot remember when I first Visited Zamboanga City as a young child I stayed for two months to see my cousin But it was my first time away from my parents I cried too much So I went back to my home province. Sometimes I remember when I cared for my aunty In Pagadian City for three months She had just given birth So I cooked chicken adobo Rice and young shoots of bamboo Fish with vinegar and garlic, and ginger. I cleaned her house, washed the clothes She wanted me near while she looked after her baby. The next time I am back in Zamboanga I had run away and wanted to see my mother So it became my second home I was almost nineteen Before I would see my province again. by A

Name

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