Page 41 - SpringBoard_CloseReading_Workshop_Grade6_Flipbook

Close Reading of poetry (continued)
main black corridor: the street most heavily populated by African Americans stereoscope: a device that made photographs or other images appear to have depth and solid form
Leaves of Grass: a collection of the American poet Walt Whitman’s poems
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Even today I read hardcover as a preference paperback only As a last resort
And up the hill on vine street
(The main black corridor) sat our carnegie library Mrs. Long always glad to see you
The stereoscope always ready to show you faraway Places to dream about
Mrs. Long asking what are you looking for today
When I wanted Leaves of Grass or alfred north whitehead She would go to the big library uptown and I now know Hat in hand to ask to borrow so that I might borrow
Probably they said something humiliating since southern Whites like to humiliate southern blacks
But she nonetheless brought the books Back and I held them to my chest
Close to my heart
And happily skipped back to grandmother’s house Where I would sit on the front porch
In a gray glider and dream of a world
Far away
I love the world where I was
I was safe and warm and grandmother gave me neck kisses When I was on my way to bed
But there was a world Somewhere
Out there
And Mrs. Long opened that wardrobe But no lions or witches scared me
I went through
Knowing there would be
Spring
40 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 6
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