I have spent much of the morning in the same room as Mr 12, who is deep in a video game with a bunch of his friends. At first I was annoyed – it’s hard to write with someone talking loudly right by me – then inspiration struck: somewhere on Twitter, people are turning their bedmate’s sleep talking into Insta-style poetry. Here, very lightly edited, is the poetry of 12-year-old gamers. (Apologies for the curse-words. I promise he mostly curses in video-game play.)
There's a lot to unpack here.
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Oh, this is stunning. And there is no way, ever, that I could transcribe the language that enanates from my basement (and has for years) when the video gaming is underway…..
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What a great slice of life! Have you read Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin? I have a new appreciation for video games after that book.
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Best line: “This is becoming a graveyard biome” — like, hello! I want to use that line to start a ghost story. So good!
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I love this for its originality. As long as I’ve been teaching, kids have written fiction based on video games. I tried to fight it for years. But now i just let it go. At least they are writing. It is a language I do not speak. Thanks for giving me a totally new perspective. Poetry!
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🙂
Found poetry … in the video game play sphere … wonderful
“Hold up — I gotta heal up”
Kevin
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Well, this is an ingenious way of dealing with distraction. I love “I’m Really Low” with all of its different meanings. Low on energy, lowdown, and merely down in the dumps. Does Mr 12 know that he’s speaking poetry? He may end up trying to elevate his dialogue if he knows you’re nearby and composing…or composting his words.
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So fun! It does make interesting poetry.
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Reading your piece I can see how the language grabbed your attention- slime queen/these things are harassing me/just summon it/vanity item. Yes,poetic and fun! I never would have thought to look there…
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Amanda! Mr. 12 and his gaming are genius. I ❤️❤️❤️ this poetry. What fun. What inspiration! And the vocabulary is brilliant. I can see a lesson idea brewing. 👏
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I love this! I never would have thought my son’s shouts during video game play were poetic but you did it. I think students would love this writing.
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Fabulous! Finding inspiration in your son’s gaming conversations is just brilliant!
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Love it!!! I’m going to try this.
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That pivot from annoyance to inspiration? Precious! A lemons-into-lemonade moment.
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Fascinating!
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This is awesomely creative! What a unique place to find poetry and a slice. Well done!
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I love the idea of “eavesdrop poetry”! I actually was sent on an assignment to do this, once upon a time-write down what you overhear (at a coffee shop, perhaps). I love the formatting-and that you wrote poems! Not just one, but so many! And, can I just say that I love that you call him, “Mr. 12”? I love it.
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