Poem Activity

Get inspired to write a poem!

For this activity you will:

1. Read the poem, "Latinos en Capas" which is an example of a poem that combines art (poetry), science (geology and paleontology of Florissant Fossil Beds), and culture (Latino culture).
2. Visit our Virtual Experiences page to learn about the science and history of Florissant.
3. You will write a poem using artistic inspiration from "Latinos en Capas," knowledge of the science and history of Florissant Fossil Beds, and your own ideas.

Since it's your art, you can use your words to paint a picture about anything. If you don't know how to start, then write about the prompts below. Don't forget a pen and paper and have fun with your poem!

 

 

• Latinos en Capas

  
  

  A poem that combines art (poetry), science (geology and paleontology of Florissant Fossil Beds), and culture (Latino culture).

  Credit / Author:

  Astrid Garcia and Franklin Cruz

  Date created:

  02/11/2021

  Audio Transcript

  La Tierra we stand on Piel que sigue cambiando There's a forever in the way we know the ground

  The Florissant Valley's history saved in rock Stratigraphy shows geologic events Redwoods buried in volcanic mudflows Tree cells soaked in silica Permineralized, turning stumps to stone

  After dinosaurs went extinct Mammals adapted to the land Adaptation means the land has a place for you It is the language of immigrants Who also adapt to the land Many just to survive Like the creatures that fossilized in the soil Ancient mammals that roamed around Making our normal look wild, look crazy, look other As both a scientist and Latino Other is for what we don't know

  Other is for Brontotherium Same attitude when people think latin Only to get sweet food instead of spicy Cause they've only seen Mexican food and not Cuban food Like what you expect when you say horse Only to show mesohippus Maybe Latinos and creatures from the Eocene Have more in common

  Igual sufrimos cuando terremotos Cambian nuestra vida Seguimos luchando Nuestros esfuerzos grabados en la piedra Porque igual erupciones siguen afectandonos

  Volcanoes blanket the land in ash Burying and suffocating all Ash fertilizing and perserving Fossilizing ancient Redwoods Where new growth can sprout

  Latino is evolving Diverse as oreodonts Which disappeared some time ago Like our grandparents who have passed Passed on traditions, advice and guidance Their heritage deposited within us

  Latino is a forever conversation Latino is as wide as geology Latino is sedimentary A mixture of time and minerals An ecology as delicious as masa Latinos know full belly Tierra sin hambre

  Dirt is cultura Tierra es movimiento Tierra es muestra Dirt is the receipt Tierra es la consultación Con lo que fue antes

  From the mountain tops Fragments erode downward Carried by wind and streams To settle in the ground Dirt that forms underneath our feet That tells us stories Of different times From distant lands Boulders, cobbles and pebbles Traveling just as our ancestors Our immigrant mothers and fathers Who moved from one place to the next Settling to where we could Steward a culture and home.

 

This artwork is one example on weaving together art, science, and culture.

NPS Graphic / Karen Ceballos

Be your own Poet

Art is as big as a mammoth, creative as adaptation, and as free as a bird soaring over the mountains of Colorado. Get a paper, writing tool or whatever you prefer to use and let’s see how you can weave art with science. Use Florissant Fossil Beds as a source of inspiration.

Once you’re ready, find a spot that's best for you to write. On the page, write whatever comes to mind. Your poem doesn't even have to rhyme, so write about anything you want. You can always edit your poem afterwards.

We're all creative in our own unique ways, and often times we just need a little encouragement or an idea to get into an artistic flow. To get you started, here’s a few prompts:

The once towering Redwoods are now stumps of stone, reminding us that everything changes through time. For example, in my life I have seen changes like...

On a calm day, Ancient Lake Florissant reflects the beauty all around. When my mind is calm, I see...

Mammoths are as big as my ideas. Some of my biggest ideas are...

Continue writing to see what you can create. You can e-mail us your finished poem, and if you'd like, we could share your work.