we wrote, laughed, shared, cried,
listened, commented, questioned,
connected, embraced
the most important
thing we did in our session:
we accepted us
Our NCTE Presentation
The Edge of Childhood
Erica from Arkansas is our host today for the fifth and final day of the November Open Write at www.ethicalela.com. She inspires us to write story-poems that span from childhood to adulthood and hover on the brink.
She urges us to “record imagery that comes to mind when you think of that childhood experience. I encourage you to focus on concrete sensory details, but if you have to pull from memory or make something up that’s fine too.”
Earlier this week, we wrote 4×4 poems, featuring 4 stanzas with 4 syllables on 4 lines with a refrain. Today, I’m trying a 5×5 with those same parameters, but without a refrain.
Chasing the Future at the Kitchen Sink
overnight, he’d grown
a foot, it seemed – so
when I saw him ride
his bicycle by
the kitchen window
as I washed dishes
it brought to mind a
huge bear riding a
motorcycle in
a 3-ring circus
his back slumped over
the seat, head looming
over handlebars
ankles spinning wheels
in a duck-paddle
my mother-heart froze
in that moment, a
vivid photograph
etched in memory,
forever preserved
today, his own 5
grow a foot each day
too fast – much too fast
new generations
chasing the future
November Open Write Day 3 of 5
Denise Neal, principal at Our Lady of the Way RC School in Belize, is our host day for the Open Write at www.ethicalela. She inspires us to write poems today by offering this prompt:
“Think about your educational journey. In Aristotle’s words, ‘ The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.’ Because we all have different experiences, our stories will be a collage of joy, success, pain, sacrifice, opportunities, and commitment. I encourage you to write in 4 lines and have a minimum of five stanzas.
However, you are also welcome to write freely to TELL your STORY.”
I thought of Denise’s words and all the things about my educational journey that really mattered ~ and still do.
What Matters
not the classrooms
not the worksheets
not the crayons
but the experiencing
not the posters
not the desks
not the chalkboards
but the reading
not the papers
not the assignments
not the projects
but the thinking
not the textbooks
not the answers
not the solutions
but the writing
Sister Shubert’s Sunday Morning Cinnamon Rolls and So Many Shares of Shiba Inu
ding!
oven
timer and
Robinhood App
alert that sweetness
is done with its baking
that a good day is ahead
rising like the index and yeast
in family-fragranced indulgence
My sister-in-law shared Sister Shubert’s Cinnamon Rolls with me as a freezer staple to keep on hand for Saturday and Sunday breakfasts. We were visiting about a month ago when I bit into the best cinnamon roll ever, and she clued me in to her well-kept secret, hidden in the spare freezer. I bought a tray on a recent grocery excursion, and Sunday was the day. Cinnamon Roll Sunday here on the Johnson Funny Farm, and the mouth-watering wafting smell tells the story. We savor each bite, reflecting on the week.
The past week has been full of group texts with my children, who love to compete with stock purchases. Each tries to outdo the other, and they get into hilarious bragging fights over how they might buy a daily dipper, then watch a swiftly recovering penny stock make a few dollars in a week. They give me sage financial advice so much that about a year ago, I started listening to them and their crypto currency wars and decided to riskily invest about $20 in Shiba Inu. With that twenty dollar bill, I received over one million shares, since each share’s value is about 0.000019.
What I have discovered is that being a Shiba shareholder gives me the excuse to buy dinner without any lip from anyone at the table. When someone tries to throw down a napkin and argue as I pick up the bill, I simply pull them aside and whisper, “Sorry, but I can’t let you do that when I’m sitting on over a million shares of Shiba Inu.”
Enough said.
I’ve bought and sold that same $20 worth of stock a couple of times over the past year as its value has fallen and risen like fresh-baked cinnamon rolls, and it has honestly been the most fun I’ve had ever breaking even with anything and enjoying the inexpensive entertainment of banter and bickering, and being able to talk about it like it’s some “big” thing.
So I’m considering adding another $10 worth of shares to get up to 2 million now that the fever is raging.
Over a year, it might buy a tray of Sister Shubert’s Sunday Cinnamon rolls (or their lemon blueberry rolls, which my brother likes even better) if I play my cards just right!
A Christmas Carol at the Alliance Theater: Still, Still, Still
We didn’t come straight home from Halloween festivities and put up our Christmas tree (it still isn’t up), but we have officially begun preparing our hearts for the Christmas season ahead. It began two weekends ago when we took our grandson Aidan to see The Nativity Tour at The Biblical History Center in Lagrange, Georgia. When it comes to Christmas, I do love the charged energy of cold weather, the laughter of shoppers, the gatherings with food and fellowship, and the lights. But Christmas, for me, lives in the quiet moments of deep thought and reflection – about ordinary things and how they connect to a greater concept.
The first reminders of the season came as we stood outside a sheepfold with our firstborn grandson, now a few months away from a driver’s license, learning about the likelihood that the manger may have been made of stone and the surrounding animals predominantly sheep. We discovered the reasons that a family in Biblical times may have turned away a woman expecting a baby for fear it would displace them if birth occurred and rendered their house unclean for 30 days. Having no room in the inn has been a frequent thought recently as I watch families unravel over candidates – brother against brother. Sadness, angst, grief over loss of relationships, and anger have all been the emotions of recent days. It’s hard to escape.
The second reminders of the season came as I watched my favorite Christmas book, A Christmas Carol, come to life on the stage. Is there any wonder that this particular adaptation of the play at this theater opens each year with a quartet of carolers singing Still, Still, Still? It prepares the minds and hearts of the audience to pay attention – to be still and watch for what is most important by looking in our own mirrors – to listen to the characters and the messages they bring. And yes, to sit right next to Charles Dickens himself, whose own story lurks in the shadows, and to wonder: what, dear friend, do I need to see in each of these characters and change in my own life as I seek joy this season?
Is there any greater time to hear this message than right now, today? It is the message of Christmas that beckons us to think not of our own rights and wishes, but the acts of service and giving to those around us to avoid those two hideous children, Ignorance and Want, who huddle under our cloaks. Children we try to hide, who are as clear and present as decaying front teeth behind a selfish smile. Is there any greater time to seek healing in our own hearts than Christmas?
Adults are often asked if we believe in Santa. Whether we do or don’t, the greater question, I think, is whether we believe in Scrooge. Somewhere in the quiet moments, I am reassured that even old Ebenezer himself, and even the Grinch, has hope – as do I, as does this nation. And this year, perhaps more than ever before, I welcome the ghosts to remind me to count my blessings.
Reminders: A Tricube
still, still, still
we listen
our hearts thaw
still, still still
quartet sings
voices lift
still, still, still
their words ring
all year long
Kitchen Gods and Goddesses
J’s aunt Mabel said to bleach the lettuce
to kill the amoebas crawling around in it
but we never did ~ and still don’t
J sang every time she chopped anything
making up tunes and songs to narrate
dancing to whatever genre she picked
her knife blade a microphone to belt out
lyrics like a stage star with passion, bending
backward Bon Jovi style to spice our meal with musical strains
sung to the gods of the kitchen as if they couldn’t see
we’re choppin’ broc-co-li-i-i-i
yeah, we’re choppin’ broc-co-li-i-i-i
M sprinkled sugar in the tomato sauce to
bring out the flavor, stirring as it simmered
shimmering like blood bubbling in the skillet
the other M tore foil sheets for corn
another M talked our ears off with drama gossip
P galloped through the kitchen flashing us all
her boobs jiggling like peach Jell-O, giggled, trotted off
to the M&M candy jar for a handful while
the parrot greeted the cat that sauntered in: Hi, Russ,
shortening Russell’s name as we all did back then
while the forgotten bread always, always burned in the oven
as A stood undeterred slicing onions
wearing tinted kitchen goggles as the rest of us cried
in the days before hidden ear buds
before the games ever started
The Zoo Crew Nonet
the zoo crew parades into the den
at first light, ready to go out
for their second morning walk
after the deer have left
the yard for the woods ~
now they’re ready
nose to ground
to sniff
tracks
My Retirement List 41-50
I’m taking the week to write list poems of all the things I’ll do when I retire. They say we should never retire from something, always to something. So I’ll retire to some work and some play, but I want to steer the wheel and throw away the clock. This is day 5 of 5 that I’ll list ten things I’ll do when I am officially off contract for life.
First, a review of the previous days:
- I’ll write into the day.
- I’ll visit the library twice a week to check out new books.
- I’ll read into the evening by the fire.
- I’ll shop at the farmer’s market for fresh fruits and vegetables.
- I’ll cook things fresh-grown and scrubbed clean.
- I’ll take morning walks with the dogs, strolling instead of hurrying.
- I’ll make pictures and put them on calendars and notecards.
- I’ll pick wildflowers.
- I’ll put the picked flowers in the flower press.
- I’ll make bookmarks with my pressed flowers.
- I’ll savor my coffee, linger longer before showering.
- I’ll meet friends for lunch.
- I’ll design patterned rag quilts.
- I’ll cut flannel quilt squares and stitch them in rows.
- I’ll go to sleep when it’s dark and awaken when it’s light.
- I’ll wash my dishes by hand in warm water with fragrant dish soap.
- I’ll bake fresh, healthy muffins for breakfast.
- I’ll volunteer to drive someone to a doctor’s visit.
- I’ll make a big pot of soup every few weeks to freeze and give to shut-ins.
- I’ll pick my own apples in North Georgia.
21. I’ll take more impromptu personal field trips to satisfy my curious adventure spells.
22. I’ll coordinate my wardrobe down to the kind where all the tops match all the bottoms and all the outfits have three shoe possibilities – and live more simply.
23. I’ll go on writing crawls, writing in first one place and then the next through the day.
24. I’ll attend more book festivals near me and listen to more regional authors speak.
25. I’ll sit in Starbucks and write just for the crooner music and the perfectly-lit ambience.
26. I’ll carry only a small crossbody bag with my driver’s license, some money, and a tube of Candy Cane chapstick that I buy by the box.
27. I’ll sit on my front porch and pray.
28. I’ll learn more about making salves and tinctures, and take a hobby class on it.
29. I’ll wrap all my wine bottles with twine to create vases and fill them with wildflowers and leave them on random doorsteps where they don’t have Ring cameras to catch me.
30. I’ll take more slow country drives at sunset to see the sun sinking below the fenced cattle meadows.
31. I’ll choose the matinee movies on cold, rainy days and take a blanket to the theater.
32. I’ll read more travel genre books and go to places my feet may never actually walk.
33. I’ll spend more time grooming my dogs with glove brushes because they love it when I place them in my lap and give them the brush glove massage.
34. I’ll spend a few hours each week one morning chopping vegetables and fruits to go in plastic tubs for easier use in omelets and soups and snacks and dinners.
35. I’ll take more writing cabin excursions and map my route on Roadtrippers.
36. I’ll hang my tree hammock in the afternoon shade and read until dusk.
37. I’ll stroll through the aquarium and take the time to really see what I’m looking at, and spend more time watching my favorite critters (the otters) play.
38. I’ll read more blogs.
39. I’ll listen to more podcasts.
40. I’ll sit in silence more, savoring its goldenness.
And now today’s:
41. I’ll take longer showers and make them my prayer time.
42. I’ll do more bird counts.
43. I’ll piddle.
44. I’ll leave the television off – as I have always done.
45. I’ll minimize the social media scroll.
46. I’ll teach my grandchildren to make homemade ice cream.
47. I’ll read more picture books.
48. I’ll eat more charcuterie-style dinners.
49. I’ll write the memories of old photographs.
50. I’ll remember that while I have the opportunity to do more, it’s okay to do less.
My Retirement List 31-40 of 50
I’m taking the week to write list poems of all the things I’ll do when I retire. They say we should never retire from something, always to something. So I’ll retire to some work and some play, but I want to steer the wheel and throw away the clock. This is day 4 of 5 that I’ll list ten things I’ll do when I am officially off contract for life.
First, a review of the previous days:
- I’ll write into the day.
- I’ll visit the library twice a week to check out new books.
- I’ll read into the evening, dogs snuggled in my lap by the fire.
- I’ll shop at the farmer’s market for fresh fruits and vegetables.
- I’ll cook things fresh-grown and scrubbed clean.
- I’ll take morning walks with the dogs, strolling instead of hurrying.
- I’ll make pictures and put them on calendars and notecards.
- I’ll pick wildflowers.
- I’ll put the picked flowers in the flower press.
- I’ll make bookmarks with my pressed flowers.
- I’ll savor my coffee, linger longer before showering.
- I’ll meet friends for lunch.
- I’ll design patterned rag quilts.
- I’ll cut flannel quilt squares and stitch them in rows.
- I’ll go to sleep when it’s dark and awaken when it’s light.
- I’ll wash my dishes by hand in warm water with fragrant dish soap – and blow the bubbles.
- I’ll bake fresh, healthy muffins for breakfast.
- I’ll volunteer to drive someone to a doctor’s visit.
- I’ll make a big pot of soup every few weeks to freeze and give to shut-ins.
- I’ll pick my own apples in North Georgia.
- I’ll take more impromptu personal field trips to satisfy my curious adventure spells.
22. I’ll coordinate my wardrobe down to the kind where all the tops match all the bottoms and all the outfits have three shoe possibilities for my minimal approach – and live more simply.
23. I’ll go on writing crawls, writing in first one place and then the next through the day.
24. I’ll attend more book festivals near me and listen to more regional authors speak.
25. I’ll sit in Starbucks and write just for the crooner music and the perfectly-lit ambience…oh, and the coffee.
26. I’ll carry only a small Travelon crossbody bag with my driver’s license, some money, and a tube of Candy Cane chapstick that I buy by the box.
27. I’ll sit on my front porch and pray.
28. I’ll learn more about making salves and tinctures, and take a hobby class on it.
29. I’ll wrap all my wine bottles with twine to create vases and fill them with wildflowers and leave them on random doorsteps where they don’t have Ring cameras to catch me.
30. I’ll take more slow country drives at sunset to see the sun sinking below the fenced cattle meadows.
And now for today’s list:
31. I’ll choose to see matinee movies on cold days and take a blanket to the theater.
32. I’ll read more travel genre books and go to places my feet may never actually walk.
33. I’ll spend more time grooming my dogs with glove brushes because they love it when I place them in my lap and give them the brush glove massage.
34. I’ll spend a few hours each week one morning chopping vegetables and fruits to go in plastic tubs for easier use in omelets and soups and snacks and dinners.
35. I’ll take more writing cabin excursions and map my route on Roadtrippers.
36. I’ll hang my tree hammock in the afternoon shade and read until dusk.
37. I’ll stroll through the aquarium and take the time to really see what I’m looking at, and spend more time watching my favorite critters (the otters) play.
38. I’ll read more blogs.
39. I’ll listen to more podcasts.
40. I’ll sit in silence more, savoring its goldenness.
My Retirement List: 11-20 of 50
I’m taking the week to write list poems of all the things I’ll do when I retire. They say we should never retire from something, but instead always to something. So I’ll retire to some work and some play, but I want to steer my own wheel and throw away the clock. Today is day two of five days that I’ll list ten things I’ll do when I am officially off contract for life.
First, a review of yesterday’s list:
- I’ll write into the day.
- I’ll visit the library twice a week to check out new books.
- I’ll read into the evening by the fire, dogs in my lap..
- I’ll shop at the farmer’s market for fresh fruits and vegetables.
- I’ll cook things fresh-grown and scrubbed clean.
- I’ll take morning walks with the dogs, strolling instead of hurrying.
- I’ll make pictures and put them on calendars and notecards.
- I’ll pick wildflowers.
- I’ll put the picked flowers in the flower press.
- I’ll make bookmarks with my pressed flowers.
And now for today’s list:
11. I’ll savor my coffee, linger longer before showering.
12. I’ll meet friends for lunch.
13. I’ll design patterned rag quilts.
14. I’ll cut flannel quilt squares and stitch them in rows.
15. I’ll go to sleep when it’s dark and awaken when it’s light.
16. I’ll wash my dishes by hand in warm water with fragrant dish soap and blow the bubbles.
17. I’ll bake fresh, healthy muffins with bananas and chia and flax seeds for breakfast.
18. I’ll volunteer to drive someone to a doctor’s visit each week because I understand the village we all need.
19. I’ll make a big pot of soup every few weeks to freeze and give to chemotherapy shut-ins.
20. I’ll pick my own apples in North Georgia.
What are your favorite things about retirement?
Common Threads 