Mattie Smith is 91 years old. Mattie couldn´tcreateddidn´tdiedlearnedlivedlookedmarriedstartedwantedwasworked never at school She couldn´tcreateddidn´tdiedlearnedlivedlookedmarriedstartedwantedwasworked with her mother and four sisters. She couldn´tcreateddidn´tdiedlearnedlivedlookedmarriedstartedwantedwasworked work when she was eight. She couldn´tcreateddidn´tdiedlearnedlivedlookedmarriedstartedwantedwasworked in the cotton fields from 6.00 in the morning to 10.00 at night. She couldn´tcreateddidn´tdiedlearnedlivedlookedmarriedstartedwantedwasworked read or write but she could think, and she couldn´tcreateddidn´tdiedlearnedlivedlookedmarriedstartedwantedwasworked poems in her head.
She says:" I really couldn´tcreateddidn´tdiedlearnedlivedlookedmarriedstartedwantedwasworked to learn to read and write. When I couldn´tcreateddidn´tdiedlearnedlivedlookedmarriedstartedwantedwasworked sixteen I couldn´tcreateddidn´tdiedlearnedlivedlookedmarriedstartedwantedwasworked Hubert, and soon there were six childrenm, five sons, then a daughter, Lily. Hubert couldn´tcreateddidn´tdiedlearnedlivedlookedmarriedstartedwantedwasworked just before she was born. That was sixty-five years ago. So I couldn´tcreateddidn´tdiedlearnedlivedlookedmarriedstartedwantedwasworked after my family alone. There was no time for learning, but my children, they all couldn´tcreateddidn´tdiedlearnedlivedlookedmarriedstartedwantedwasworked to read and write - that was important to me. And when did I learn to read and write? I couldn´tcreateddidn´tdiedlearnedlivedlookedmarriedstartedwantedwasworked learn until I was 86, and now I have three of poems."





L. and J. Soars, New Headway, 2000, pages 52, 53