Freudian Slipknot

We start the poetry unit with a rhyming poem that has a distinct pattern and refrain. Even the poetic nay-sayers have a little fun with it and find they CAN write poetry. Mostly, I am amazed by the large handful of students who can't follow the pattern or make words rhyme, but my favorite exchange so far came from a boy who had no trouble with that part of the assignment:

"Ms. D, I'm stuck. I need help with my poem about Slipknot."

"Okay. What do you like about Slipknot?"

"They are pretty hardcore."

"There you go. You can rhyme easily with core."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks."

I wander to another table, but am called back just a minute later.

"Ms. D, I'm still stuck. I like that idea, but what rhymes with whore?" Pause. Realization. Blurt. "I MEAN CORE!"

The other students at the table nearly wet themselves laughing and I couldn't the find words to respond through my own snickering.

The boy understood there was no turning back. The one word he could think of but couldn't use had been spoken. He knew there was only one thing left to say: "Well. I guess I found a word."