Serious Poetry: Learning to Swim

Bibliography:

Turner, Ann. 2000. A Memoir: Learning to Swim. New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 0439153093

Review:

Learning to Swim by Ann Turner is a series of free verse narrative poems recalling the summer that she was six years old. Turner conveys her feelings of joy and security at the family's summer house and how she is shattered when an older boy who lives nearby sexually abuses her. The boy lures her up to her bedroom with a promise of reading to her-but the book is never opened. The voice you hear in the poems is that of a young child. Her normal routines of playing with dolls and swimming with her father are realistic-teen readers will identify with those days of play. Annie doesn’t really know what is happening to her-the boy threatens her and she states in free verse: “and I didn’t even know/I could say/no”. The boy does this over and over. Annie’s personality changes : she brushes her teeth five times a day, and tries to “rub all my hidden places/away.” She also rearranges her dolls over and over and doesn’t respond to questions when asked. Annie’s mom finally asks her what books the boy is reading to her when they are in her room. This is the turning point. Annie tells her mom what is happening to her. Horrified her mother promises that he will never hurt her again. The emotion in this verse novel is deep. As I read, I felt so much anger. I wanted to be there with her to help and protect her. Even when the abuse becomes known, I felt anger mixed with relief. Her life is forever changed but healing begins. The book has a note from the author explaining that this is a true story. It also has resources for those people who have been molested.

Poem Selection:

The poems in this novel that are about the abuse are hard to read. I am going to share the next to last poem titled “Telling is What Matters.” This is not a book that I would share with a whole class. I think instead, I would share this with the school counselor, and principals who may have knowledge of those students who would benefit from reading about Mrs. Turner.

Telling is What Matters

Listen.

Telling is what matters.

You have to catch

the words you’ve been hiding

inside or keeping in the dark

hurting ball in the middle

of your stomach that makes you

sick

but pulling the words up

and out, spilling them

across the floor; the table,

dropping them into someone’s

surprised face that

is what matters

and after this time

and the next one day

you will feel so

light and airy

your stomach will

uncoil

your face

unclench

and you will feel

like yourself

again.