A poem about dyslexia written by a 10-year-old student has gone viral, inspiring millions with its imaginative construction and powerful message.
Teacher Jane Broadis, who teaches sixth grade at Christ Church Chorleywood Church of England School in Watford, was so moved by her student’s creative effort that she shared the poem on Twitter. It’s no ordinary poem but a “reverse poem,” which reads both forwards and backwards, with a surprising message.
“Please share,” Jane implored to others on Twitter. “I would love her work to be appreciated further afield. I wonder if it could even find a publisher?”
The first line of the poem, titled “Dyslexia,” forlornly begins “I am stupid,” yet its downtrodden message transforms unexpectedly when read in reverse.
The poem reads:
Turned on its head, the poem tells an entirely different story:
“We were filling time. It wasn’t even part of a lesson,” the teacher revealed, explaining that the impromptu poetry session was nonetheless inspired by American teenager Chanie Gorkin’s reverse poem “Worst Day Ever?” written in 2015.
Jane was inundated with Twitter comments from moved, grateful, and compassionate readers, many of whom shared their own stories of growing up dyslexic and the hardships of delayed diagnosis.
“Wonderful! I was called stupid by my year 6 teacher,” one reader shared, “3 years later, diagnosed with dyslexia. We just see things others can not.”
“What great work! Well done,” added another. “When you are a famous author, you can look back on this day, and well done Ms. Broadis for taking the time to share.”
“If more support is given to learners then this is a good thing,” she added.
Yet these difficulties, the experts maintain, have absolutely no bearing upon a dyslexic person’s overall intelligence.
“Absolutely delighted that Year 6 poet AO, author of the reverse poem ‘Dyslexia,’ will have her second reverse poem published in the Fly on the Wall Poetry anthology, Planet in Peril, this autumn,” Jane wrote. The only way is up for the aspiring creative!
