National Public Radio (NPR) recently featured a Tulsa-based English and creative writing teacher’s poetry as part of its ongoing #NPRpoetry project.
The radio network has been soliciting poetry from listeners via Twitter all this month. Why? Because, in addition to April being National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (more about that here), it also happens to be National Poetry Month (more about that here).
As such, Jenny Flower’s feed (@jennylynnflower) has featured at least one poem per day since April 3.
Via email Tuesday, the self-described “Momma Teacher Poet Writer” stated to our education correspondent, John Thompson, that her tweeted lines are “… inspired by the public education funding crisis in this state and the overall state of education in America.”
NPR posted one of her opening missives (below) in its online Arts & Life section on April 8:
Education For Sale:
gently used
under value
no longer need
asking Chump change
in Oklahoma
will ship internationally#NPRpoetry #revised— Jenny Flower (@jennylynnflower) April 4, 2017
The devil’s in the details
Despite Twitter’s 140-character limit, Flower’s poems speak volumes about frustration and exasperation at the state’s current crisis in education funding. For example, one could infer that the capitalization in the line “asking Chump change” intends to create a double-entendre — state government has devalued its educational system, so we need to change out the “chumps” in charge.
Here’s a sampling of some of her other verses expressing similar ire:
Education Devastation
O.K. budget isn’t done yet?
Legislators have no answers
Teachers & youth deserve the truth#NPRpoetry #oklaed #OKleg— Jenny Flower (@jennylynnflower) April 6, 2017
Our state gave privilege to oil and wind.
Who cares, I ask with much chagrin?
It’s just the future of children.#NPRpoetry #oklaed #OKLeg— Jenny Flower (@jennylynnflower) April 9, 2017
Why do we vote for legislators
who will not pay our educators?
It isn’t fair nor is it nice,
and it’s our kids who pay the price!#oklaed— Jenny Flower (@jennylynnflower) April 10, 2017
I hear you say that what I do is for a worthy cause
But I can’t feed my children on your thank yous and applause. #NPRpoetry#oklaed#OKLeg— Jenny Flower (@jennylynnflower) April 11, 2017
To submit your own entries into NPR’s month-long poetry project, simply compose a poetic tweet and include #NPRpoetry.
