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RE: 1st @DTube Video — "Hard Days" — Reading an Original Poem With My 8-Year-Old Niece :D
Nice reading Sonya + @yahialababidi. Good to see you spreading the message of poetry to the younger generation 📜 🙂
Grinning from ear to ear to hear you say that! I've 21(!) nieces and nephews of varying ages and they all know their Uncle Yaya is bonkers about books :D Sonia's similar to me in temperament, so I didn't have to persuade her much to do this reading.
Another little game we play to get the kids to develop a fondness for reading is I take them to book fairs with me and introduce them to authors (if I know em) or we read a book together and write the author (if I don't).
One of the kiddies, now, is a pen pal with one of my favorite poets, Naomi Shihab Nye, so I'm excited about that :D Okay, overproud uncle pulling the plug, now, on 2 of his favorite subjects. Thanks, for listening!
Ha ha. Always a pleasure to hear your stories Yahia. Especially proud uncle ones ;-) I feel that way about my little cousin sometimes, except he's 21 this year and not so little anymore. But i remeber teaching him how to play poker for pennies at my Grans at Christmas when he was 8 years old. It's a strange thing to get to know loved ones at different stages in their lives, almost like making many friends in one person. I guess this is one of the joys of growing old-er.
Wow, that's a big family you have. I'm at the opposite end of the scale with only me and my mother in the UK and my uncle, aunt and cousin in the USA. Grandparents sadly passed recently, so we are a small clan.
I was encouraged to read Naomi Shihab Nye in University and enjoyed her poems very much. The one that springs to mind is 'Jerusalem'. I have been involved in the Palestine movement in a small way in Liverpool and my mum is much more seriously involved, I don't want to get into politics lol, but that is on of the reasons why that poem sticks in my memory.
Just googled her work and found this reading. I'm sure your familiar with it. Really nice reading and story.
‘Making many friends in one person’ is an excellent way of putting it - I’ll remember that aphorism of yours for a long time!
Touching to learn about your family & involvement with Palestine, thank you 🙏🏼
I adore the Naomi poem, “Kindness” might be my favorite of hers, and she embodies it. Proud to say she’s been a real ally to me over the years, and an example in how to Be: generous, joyous and a committed artist!
Many thanks, for sharing this reading - I was not aware of this backstory & now, near tears having heard it... How remarkable she is & we all can be ✌🏼