Wong, Janet. 1996. A suitcase of seaweed and other poems. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. ISBN: 0-689-80788-0.
Introduction
As the title indicates, this is a love poem. What makes this poem special is that it is based on Janet Wong's parents�their love story!!!
Love At First Sight
I like to imagine Mother
when her face was full and smooth
and she wore her hair in a long braid,
and I like to imagine Father
with his crooked smile and his crooked crew cut,
wearing an American uniform,
running after her
in the narrow dirt streets
of her Korean village,
as she rushes away
laughing,
her long braid
wagging like the tail of a dog
that has found
a fresh bone.
Extension
This poem would be great paired with Allen Say's Tea With Milk. (Tea With Milk is a picture book based on his parents love story.) Further extensions could be having students write (poems or stories) based on their parents (or grandparents) love stories. It provides a great opportunity for family sharing. I know I always love to hear the stories my parents and grandparents tell!
Module five focuses on multicultural poetry. Selected poems are as follows: