Worksheets, packets, handouts too

I stare at the blocks of text, nothing too new

Helpful, resourceful, that's what they say

And I agree, but only 'till I've had my way

Dashes, arrows, comments all through

These are the things that help me understand you

Drawings and doodles scattered from top to bottom

Pictures to associate with words so they're not forgotten

Highlight this and sticky note that

Bring life to these dull directions on the map

Annotating, it's what I like to do

Worksheets, packets, handouts, and books too

As I read I'll write my own stories in the margins

or underline the part about the Spartans

Circle the words I've never seen before

Look them up later so I can absorb more

Some may call this disrespectful

A careless attitude toward providers of knowledge

But I see it differently, it's me paying homage

Letting my thoughts spill in between their pages

Without making any damaging changes

It's the secret we share that makes this so great

Annotating isn't the act of ruining what someone else has made

It's helping yourself understand what others want to relate