Lynn's Review of Salting the Ocean

My cat died -


And I cried.





That's about the extent of my talent for writing poetry. I could have definitely used the guidance of Naomi Shihab Nye, as she describes working with hundreds of students in the writers in schools project for the past 25 years. The result of her teachings and influence have produced the poetry illustrated in Salting the Ocean. The poems are thoughtfully selected and the inspiration of this award-winning writer is evident as she describes poetry as the "one true word" and "the spark that links us." In each individual poem, the reader has the sense that Naomi Shihab Nye has influenced students' poetry writing as "making a map of the days you live." This collection captures the perspectives of these young writers and allows for the reader to reflect into one's own life experiences. The simple language and pattern, along with Naomi Shihab Nye's motivational words in the introduction and afterword, make poetry writing accessible and is an encouragement for everyone to write poetry.


A couple of the poems really hit home for me, like Monday Mornings. I'm sure I'm not the only one that can relate to the line "On Monday mornings I feel like a miserable mouse, more miserable than a monkey on Monday mornings." One of my favorites, Cabbage, compares the unfolding of cabbage leaves to humans as they open up to the world. This poem seemed very appropriate to introduce the book as an example to open up the reader's mind to the perspectives of what younger generations have to say. But the one that evoked the most emotion in me was the poem, What Happened to my Cat? I asked the same question a week ago as my cat did not show up by the doorstep as usual. I feel the sadness in her words, "I miss his sweet face/ I miss stroking his soft fur/ he was like a cloud in the sky, and like a cloud in the sky, he has floated away." I miss my cat too.