Simon, age 11, and his tutor Mary, age 56

Intergenerational Description of Joint Project:

As a tutor I am always searching for opportunities for my students to practice authentic writing.  Our plan was to accomplish this intergenerational task with a poem for two voices, student and tutor.  The product of our observations was "Night Sounds": the blending of the noises heard by the more naïve ear and the more mature ear’s appreciation for the "rhythm of the night".

Celebration of Rachel Carson’s Sense of Wonder:

The project was an opportunity for this young man to see beyond the daily noises of this world and to become still and listen to the sounds of nature.  Hopefully, my student now lies awake at night and appreciates the night sounds that drift through his open window.

Poem:

Night Sounds
Poem for two voices

In the darkness of night

I listen

It’s just past sunset

It’s moments after midnight

Through my open window

From my rocking chair

From the marsh

Along the waterway

I hear

The chirping of the insects

The trill of the frogs

Low-pitched

High-pitched

Low-pitched

Rain drumming

On the ground

Drowning out the night sounds

The rhythm of the night