Free Verse Poetry: My Texas Dialect

Where I come from
We don't ride horses to school
We don't have roaches the size of rats
Even though people who ain't from 'round here think we do
They say everything is bigger in Texas
But that don't mean everything
I ain't from the country, but I'm still a country girl
Houston is a big ole' city, but my country accent still stays
They say you can never take the Texas outta' a Texas gal
No matter what anyone says, Texas is the South for me
I'm always gonna be a Texas girl with a Texas twang
We might not ride horses to school, but we sure 'nuff ride 'em
Either at a ranch, or near Rodeo Houston time, or just for fun
Houston is full of big buildings, roads, and multiple freeways
But that doesn't mean I don't say gosh dern and fixin' to because I do
I will always be a Texas gal, born and raised,
Even if I am in Louisiana for a lil' while!


This is the dialect poem that I wrote for class when Chanclerier "xero" Skidmore came to visit. It basically describes the way that I talk when I am back home in Houston, or just hanging out with friends. I try my best to use proper grammar when I am at school, work, or in any other professional setting. The bold words resemble specific words that show my dialect. As you can see, I am very proud of where I am from, and have a lot of love for my hometown.

Throughout the semester, I have expressed my opinions on the issue of allowing students' home dialects in the classroom. I have stated that I believe that a student should not be criticized for speaking their home language, but to understand the difference between proper English and slang. I know that my Texas "twang" dialect is not proper English, and I would not even think to use that type of grammar in formal essays or papers. However, I think that it is useful to allow students to be able to write in whatever language they wish to in certain free-writing or creative assignments. Does anyone else agree with my views? Does anyone think that students should not be allowed to speak in their home languages in the classroom? There are some teachers who correct students every time they say a word that is not proper grammar. Do you think that teachers should do this? Why or why not? These are questions that I have asked myself after observing a majority of AAVE high school students this semester.