(on this man’s foundation i build
my political support of feminism)
my father
is a solid stepper
amid a generation
of soft shoers
& scuffling shufflers
was young with
WW II, did not die
nor get discouraged
but rather fought
on both fronts
and unflinchingly brought
the fight back
home, after
korea
a country boy
who walked miles
for school & job
he married the minister’s
daughter (who was
a school teacher)
but never went
out to lunch for
class or church,
could sing but usually
kept his baritone
at home
i remember him home
making us work
rising with the sun
and planting food
in the city
i remember him home
waxing floors
on his knees
and requiring his sons
to follow his lead learning
to cook and clean
but mostly
i remember him man
teaching me
consistency: the
importance of principle,
the necessity of
struggle and the
immense beauty
of interrelating
with a good woman
what more could
a son receive
from a father
than the realness
of life lived
like a conscious
African(american)
man!
sho-nuff simply doing
his duty, in his own
context, in his own
space and time.
Kalamu ya Salaam
from his book Our Women Keep the Skies from Falling
Reprinted with permission of the poet.
All rights retained by natanielturner.com
LESSON PLANS
For an English Classroom
Lesson Plan for Kalamu ya Salaam’s “Pa Ferdinand”
by Gina Ferrara
This poem is a rich and powerful reflection about a father. The speaker in the poem states that his father is a solid stepper who is different than others of his generation. We see the father as he walks through life: as a soldier/warrior, as someone who fought battles on both fronts, as someone who went out into the world, as someone who eventually returns home, as someone who is a parent. The poet recalls the father’s function at home, and the father’s function in his son’s life. The father is presented in global, historical, political and personal contexts. This poem might work well in conjunction with a civics or social studies test where civil rights are being studied.
Have the students read the poem silently for five to ten minutes.
Read the poem to the students out loud.
Then, ask for seven volunteers and have each of those students read a stanza of the poem.
Generate a discussion (15 minutes)
Ask the students why they think the poet begins the poem stating the manner in which his father steps.
What do they think the differences are between the types of steps that are mentioned? (You can have students demonstrate shuffling, scuffling and silent stepping)
How did the father’s experience as a soldier shape his life?
What about the father’s life after being a soldier? What kind of life was it? What was rural life for him like in the 1940’s and 1950’s? What were some of the difficulties he faced?
Discuss the importance of the father and the speaker in the poem being African American.
Why are the words “sho-nuff” used in the poem? What possible purpose do they serve?
What kind of father was he? Was he strict? What values did he teach his children?
Writing assignment:
Have the students write a poem about someone who they feel is a trendsetter or someone who has influenced them. (25 minutes) Suggest that the students begin the poem with the subject engaged in some sort of action.
Lesson Plan for Kalamu ya Salaam’s “Pa Ferdinand”
by Nancy Jaynes
Students begin by reading the poem silently, circling words and phrases that seem interesting. Then read the poem aloud. Ask students to share examples of alliteration, assonance, and consonance, explaining and posting the terms.
Ask students to describe the man in this poem. How would you write a character sketch of this person? What does his example have to do with the poet’s support of feminism?
What might be implied in the lines
“unflinchingly brought
the fight back
home, after
korea”?Look at specific turns of phrase:
solid stepper
soft shoers
scuffling shufflers
and later, the lines
“sho-nuff simply doing
his duty, in his own
context, in his own
space and time.”
What is evoked by each phrase? Why would the poet chose those particular terms?
Look for layers of meaning and associations relating to culture.
Finally, I would ask the students to look for strong verbs in this poem. I’d ask them to look for and list verbs that help us visualize specific actions of the man in the poem. What shifts towards the end of the poem? Where do visual images give way to a summary or the statement of philosophy?
Have them share poems (15 minutes)
For a Social Studies/History Classroom
Lesson Plan for Kalamu ya Salaam’s “Pa Ferdinand”
by Nancy Jaynes
Read the poem aloud. Students read the poem silently, circling words and phrases that relate to a particular historical period. Ask students to share the words/phrases that they’ve circled.
What does the poet mean by the phrase “on both fronts?” What might be implied in the following lines:
“unflinchingly brought
the fight back
home, after
korea”?
What is the context of the poem—the setting? What is the significance of the man being African (American)? Why is “American” in parenthesis?
Look at specific turns of phrase:
solid stepper
soft shoers
scuffling shufflers
and later, the lines
“sho-nuff simply doing
his duty, in his own
context, in his own
space and time.”
What is evoked by each phrase? Why would the poet chose those particular terms?
Look for layers of meaning and associations relating to culture and the historic milieu.
This poem could lead to research on the role of African Americans in WWII and the Korean Conflict, as well as reactions to Jim Crow laws in the 1950s after the soldiers returned home. (The Library of Congress has an online resource called “African American Odyssey” with excellent information.)