Poetry: The Ability to Change Lives

Unlike Eve, I have loved poetry for as long as I can remember. I would write poems in elementary school and middle school for friends and teachers, and one of my favorite units in school was on poetry.

In AP Lit, I was introduced to poetry in a way I had never been taught before. Now, I think it is safe to say poetry is
an integral part of my life. This December, I was offered the chance to be a part of something much bigger than myself, the Intergenerational Poetry Project.

Run by Chris Morren and Melanie Greenhouse, the project aims to involve high school students in an act of
service towards the elders. When I found out about this project, I was ecstatic to get involved.

In my involvement in the project, I met with Tony Spinelli. Mr. Spinelli is a regular customer at my job, and is always a friendly face to see. He asks about school, my family, and over the months, he became someone I felt safe with.

In learning about the project, I learned not only is it a way to connect with people of other generations, but art has been shown to help people in retaining their memories. Since January, he and I have been meeting regularly to go on
walks and for me to interview him about his life. I have learned about his career, his family, his hobbies, and his childhood.

The reception will be in April, where I will present Mr. Spinelli with the poems, which hopefully, if done right, he can
see himself through a lens I create.

This project for me has not changed my feelings about poetry, but only strengthened them. Words, through and through, have the ability to change lives.