It's was little hard to do that, however, back in the days when I worked in the NEA's program "Poets-in-the-Schools." I had to be careful, and only once, when I was working with a high school honors English class in Galveston, did an English teacher get upset, telling me that poetry is only for entertainment value, and to relieve you from the stresses of the day by portraying beauty.
I found myself too shocked to formulate a quick and simple and quick reply to such ignorance coming from an honors class instructor, and I had no quarrel with beauty.
I'm going to be working with fifth graders on writing next Friday. I've worked with that age group before and it's fun. They do want me to show my books, but I don't think I will. No, I've prepared handouts especially for them. It's an interesting challenge, to read something, and have them write something, that's important to them, but won't cross lines I have in my head from having raised children, and even sharper lines drawn by school officials.
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