How to Complete Program? Plz Help!!

[ChaseC]

So, I'm working on my Poetry program for the upcoming year. I have a piece that I'm absolutely in love with about a young boy with cancer (yes I know cancer pieces are overdone, but trust me this piece is worth it). The piece also involves questioning faith due to tragedy and making the most of life. It's truly fantastic and takes about 5-6 minutes. I'm desperately searching for poetry to add to this program to extend the time and make it outstanding. Any Ideas??? I would love any help and am willing to help others by trading pieces or in any other way I can! Thank you!!

[Ernest Chomicki]

So, I'm working on my Poetry program for the upcoming year. I have a piece that I'm absolutely in love with about a young boy with cancer (yes I know cancer pieces are overdone, but trust me this piece is worth it). The piece also involves questioning faith due to tragedy and making the most of life. It's truly fantastic and takes about 5-6 minutes. I'm desperately searching for poetry to add to this program to extend the time and make it outstanding. Any Ideas??? I would love any help and am willing to help others by trading pieces or in any other way I can! Thank you!!

Does it have to be about cancer? I know two outstanding pieces about AIDS that would make the program extremely good. Jessica Care Moore's "Until we Dance for Joseph" and Sonia Sanchez's "Does your house have lions" are very good pieces that have made it far in Wisconsin by my students. Think about those pieces. Good Luck!

[ChaseC]

@Ernest:

No, it doesn't have to be. Thank you so much for the help! I will definitely look into those pieces!!

[Zayzay]

The two pieces he recommended i think would work very well. Good luck this year with your program.

[ChaseC]

So, I read those poems and they are fantastic, however I'm having difficulty relating them to my other piece due to the nature of it. (More about learning from the boy with cancer to believe and living life to the fullest than about dealing with the disease itself). Any ideas?? Thank you so much for your help once again!!!

[JjulianSr]

Are you familiar with the story of the hymn: "It Is Well With My Soul"?

Horatio Spafford lost everything - his son to disease, his law practice in the Chicago fire, and later all 4 of his daughters to a shipwreck when he sent his family ahead of himself while relocating to Europe to get a fresh start. As the ship carrying him to reunite with his wife (who had wired the man a two word telegram "Saved alone") passed by the spot where his wife and daughters' ship sank, he penned the words to the hymn. It is a great testament to overcoming the need to question faith in the face of immense personal tragedy... and is considered one of the most enduring Christian hymns. It might be a good ending to your piece after confronting the first author's questioning of faith.

Here's a link to the story, and the words of the piece are included (it is public domain - free for any use)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_with_My_Soul

I would think this might work well for your theme, based on what you have told me. As far as publishing, the piece should be found in any protestant/christian hymnal.

That's what first came to my mind reading your description.

[Ernest Chomicki]

So, I read those poems and they are fantastic, however I'm having difficulty relating them to my other piece due to the nature of it. (More about learning from the boy with cancer to believe and living life to the fullest than about dealing with the disease itself). Any ideas?? Thank you so much for your help once again!!!

You might want to change the theme altogether then. From what I've seen at Nationals is that you want to find pieces that are similar, but have different emotions and view points, as well as speeds. That way, when performing, the judges can tell that you have moved onto another poem. Maybe your theme could be coping with loss, since the boy has now lost normalcy in his life, the author of until we dance has lost her best friend and Does you house have lions, lost a family member. That might be a unique spin on things.