A couple of years ago, I co-taught a sophomore English class, and we taught the kids how to write Found Poems. For those unfamiliar with them, Found Poems are poems created using lines from other texts and putting them together in a new format. I don’t remember the texts that we had the kids use to create their Found Poems, and I had forgotten that the assignment had inspired me to write my own Found Poem. The other day while cleaning, I found my Found Poem. Mine was not inspired by a great literary work or epic poetry, but by a group a little closer to my heart: The Backstreet Boys. So I present to you for both my own desire to revisit the work and your own amusement, a Found Poem featuring the lyrics of Backstreet Boys songs!
All you people can’t you see, can’t you see/I don’t care as long as you love me/You are my fire, the one desire/Am I sexual? Am I the only one? Am I everything you need?/I need you tonight, I need you right now/I’ll never break your heart, no way no how/My love is all I have to give/And when I look into your Spanish eyes I know the reason why I am alive/I’ll be the one, I’ll be the light/And the world is so beautiful tonight/Baby I can’t help it, we’ve got it goin’ on/Let me show you the shape of my heart.
The following are the songs referenced in the poem: Larger Than Life, As Long As You Love Me, I Want It That Way, Everybody (Backstreet’s Back), I Need You Tonight, I’ll Never Break Your Heart, All I Have To Give, Spanish Eyes, The One, Drowning, We’ve Got It Goin’ On, and Shape of My Heart. These songs appeared on the albums Backstreet Boys, Millennium, Chapter One: The Hits, and Black & Blue.
Whether you find my poem enjoyable or not, I challenge you to write your own Found Poem using a text you love!
XOXO,
The Great Kaysby
The Great Kaysby 