[THEME SONG BEGINS]

>>RACHEL: Good morning, it's time for Chompers, your morning and night toothbrushing show. 

Start brushing on the top of your mouth on one side, and make sure to reach those molars in the back. 

>>KIDS: 3, 2, 1 brush!

[THEME SONG ENDS]

>>RACHEL: It’s Interviews Week, and today we have an interview where Jasmine talks to someone who writes poetry. A poet. 

>>MAHOGANY: [00:02:37] My name is Mahogany L. Browne. 

>>JASMINE: What does a poet do?

>>MAHOGANY: Being a poet means your job is to write down your feelings and explain them to the people. Being a poet means you observe things around you and write it down and share it with the world. 

>>JASMINE: I love that. Switch to the other side of the top of your mouth…

[SWITCH BELL]

>>JASMINE: -and don’t brush too hard. And why did you choose to write poetry? 

>>MAHOGANY: I think poetry because there are no rules to poetry. There isn't any one way to make a poem. And so I get to be my most honest self even if I'm afraid even if I'm just happy, even if I feel silly. I get to really dig out the different parts of who I am and who I want to become. I get to have dreams and I get to overcome fear. 

>>JASMINE: Switch to the bottom of your mouth…

[SWITCH BELL]

>>JASMINE: and make sure you’re brushing the inside, outside and chewing side of each tooth. Where can you find poetry? Is it only poetry only written down?) 

>>MAHOGANY: Its not just written down.  Poetry is in long form like a long book. It can be a chant, like you hear at a game. It can be. At the store. At the gas station. At chruch. Poetry is everywhere.

>>JASMINE: Switch to the other side of the bottom of your mouth…

[SWITCH BELL]

>>JASMINE: and give your tongue a brush too. What's your favorite poem? Like if you were trapped on a desert island you can only ever listen to one poem for the rest of your life, that's the one point you got, what poem would you take with you?

>>MAHOGANY: Jeez! Maybe "These Hips".

>>JASMINE:  by Lucile Clifton

>>MAHOGANY: Yeah, by Lucile Clifton. It's short and sweet, she celebrates her body.

>>JASMINE: What does it say?

>>MAHOGANY: "These hips. They don't like to be held back. They go where they want to go. They do what they want to do."

[THEME SONG BEGINS]

>>JASMINE: You’re all done brushing for this morning. Now you’re hips can go wherever they want to go. Mahogany Browne will be back tonight to talk more about poetry! Until then…

>>KIDS: 3, 2, 1, spit!

[THEME SONG ENDS]