Many people may question the value of teaching poetry in public schools, particularly when it yields no "marketable" skills, and standardized testing and the government funding connected to test scores increasingly determine classroom curriculum. While poetry may seem like "fluff" next to math and history, poetry actually serves as a very effective teaching tool, particularly in an ESL environment. In this article, the author reflects on his experiences teaching poetry writing to English language learners. (Contains 1 endnote.)