Sunday, April 2, 2017

A Lifetime Filled With Change




A Lifetime Filled With Change

Malvina Reynolds was born
at the turn of the 20th century.
1899 turned to 1900.

She lived a lifetime filled with change.

Telephones were new but becoming widely used,
cities were being electrified.

First vacuum cleaner -- 1902.
First flight by the Wright brothers,
First World Series,
First crayons -- 1903.

Women were given the right to vote -- 1920.
Television was invented -- 1927.

Segregation and racial oppression escalated.
The Civil Rights movement
stood up and sat down
until
(and after)
the Civil Rights Act in 1964.

Vietnam, Nixon, Apple Computers, Sony Walkmans.
Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Malvina Reynolds lived a lifetime filled with change.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2017


4 comments:

  1. First crayons... who knew?! Every generation has its own brand of firsts, that's for sure.... thank you! xo

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  2. Television, the year of my mother's birth.

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  3. That's a whirl-world of change, that's for sure.
    I love that line "stood up and sat down".

    Was she connected to the '30s labor movement, too? I imagine she and Pete Seeger must have met up a time or two.

    Thanks!

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  4. Sorry for the delay in attending to this fascinating project, Mary Lee. I had never heard of Malvina, and her song is brand new to me, so I'm really looking forward to getting to know her. Are you using any models/mentor texts for autobiography in poems? It's a fantastic challenge!

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