Wong, Janet. 1996. A suitcase of seaweed and other poems. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. ISBN: 0-689-80788-0.
Introduction
This poem is about how all of the member's of one's family makes up a quilt.
Quilt
Our family
is a quilt
of odd remnants
patched together
in a strange
pattern,
threads fraying,
fabric wearing thin--
but made to keep
its warmth
even in bitter
cold.
Extension
Have students make their own quilt out of construction paper to represent their family�and each of its members. OR make a quilt to represent the class. Each student would design a quilt block that represents who they are as individuals. Together the blocks would represent the class as a unit. It could be displayed for the whole school to see. (The poem would work well in a unit about quilts, and would go along well with books such as A Patchwork Quilt. )
Five Poems