10-year-old schoolgirl’s powerful backwards poem about dyslexia goes viral

school girl dyslexia reverse poem viral
(Image credit: Getty)

A teacher’s post has gone viral after she shared a student’s piece of work.

School English teacher Jane Broadis took to Twitter to share a powerful poem that one her 10-year-old students had written about dyslexia.

The poem was written as a reverse poem, a piece of work that be read in two ways, both normally and then from bottom to top. Both ways of reading the poem convey a completely different message.

Read more: What is dyslexia? Everything you need to know about the condition

Earlier this week, the proud teacher posted an image of the incredible poem to her Twitter feed, writing: ‘Today in Y6 we looked at poems that could be read forwards & backwards.

‘I was stunned by this one written by one of my 10 year olds. Please share - I would love her work to be appreciated further afield. I wonder if it could even find a publisher?’

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‘I am stupid. / Nobody would ever say / I have a talent for words,’ reads the first paragraph of the poem.

It continues: ‘I was meant to be great. / That is wrong. / I am a failure.

‘Nobody could ever convince me to think that / I can make it in life.’

However, at the bottom of the poem there is a line saying ‘Now read up’ and on doing so the message is completely transformed.

Read more: Holly Willoughby admits concerns her children will inherit dyslexia

It reads: ‘I can make it in life. / Nobody could ever convince me to think that

‘I am a failure. / That is wrong. / I was meant to be great.

‘I have a talent for words / Nobody would ever say / I am stupid.’

In just two days, the post displaying the amazing poem received over 157,000 likes and was shared nearly 48,000 times.

Over 2,000 Twitter users commented on the impact of the poem.

‘I am dyslexic, I learn differently,’ wrote one social media user.

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‘I find some of the things my brain comes up with hilarious,’ she continued. ‘This young students poem is wonderful. Well done.

‘Dyslexia doesn’t stop you doing anything. You just have to find a way around the obsticle. Side step it.’

Aleesha Badkar
Lifestyle Writer

Aleesha Badkar is a lifestyle writer who specialises in health, beauty - and the royals. After completing her MA in Magazine Journalism at the City, the University of London in 2017, she interned at Women’s Health, Stylist, and Harper’s Bazaar, creating features and news pieces on health, beauty, and fitness, wellbeing, and food. She loves to practice what she preaches in her everyday life with copious amounts of herbal tea, Pilates, and hyaluronic acid.