My brain hurts. My eyes won’t work. I can’t read anymore. Why do letters move? Be still, so I can read you. The letters whisper- Don’t give up.
Jumbled Words. Letters flip and flop. Then they jump and hop. Why do letters move? Be still, so I can see you. The letters whisper. Say my name.
Grumbled Sounds, And mumbled tones, Never sounding the same. WHY do letters move? Be still, so I can hear you. The letters whisper- Blend the sounds.
Teacher, Teacher! The letters are moving! Oh, no, that’s in your head. Why do letters move? Be still, YOU! The letters whisper- Concentrate.
Taking Test Orally, I’m best. Squiggly scribble letters Why do letters move? Be still, so I can write you. The letters whisper- Yes, you can.
Read aloud! Nervous mistakes, Makes my insides quake. Why do letters move? Be still, don't laugh. The letters shout. Keep going.
Every day, my teacher says, “You’re reading better today!” “Why did letters move?” Not anymore! I shout, hooray! I’m reading today.
Rex hated to read aloud. Words skipped, tripped and stumbled over his tongue like jabbering gibberish. Flustered, Rex stopped.
Susie loved to read aloud. Her words slid in seamless syllables of streaming sounds. Her correctness rattled Rex.
Susie closed the book. Torrents of confusion ceased; his heart sank in horrible comparison. Susie can read but he cannot.
Rex wished he could slash words off all the pages. Then there would be no more letters picking at his brain. The pages would be as silent as a gentle rain.
Rhonda Bronte Brown is a National Board-Certified Teacher and retired teacher/counselor whose work has appeared in Better Than Starbucks, The Trouvaille Review, Meat for Tea, The Orchards Poetry Journal and The Best Haiku 2025 international anthology and several online journals. She holds both a BS and a Master’s degree and writes children’s literature and poetry exploring nature, SEL, and STEM.
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