Poetry Friday, SOL, and Poetry News

                                         

One of my favorite things about being part of Poetry Friday and SOL is the connections I've made with folks who share my passion for words.  We're teachers, writers, librarians, parents, and poetry lovers who support and encourage each other through our comments and blog posts. Writing can, at times, be a lonely endeavor.  I don't have a writing critique group or friends who enjoy reading poetry.  Having an online community of friends nourishes me in a way my face-to-face friends cannot. I feel as though I've found my tribe. I look forward to reading their blogs, and seeing their work in print is always a thrill.  Just the other day, while I was skimming through the April edition of Storyworks Magazine, I noticed a poem written by Irene Latham. Her poem, "Same Hands" was breathtakingly beautiful.  Being an avid reader of Irene's blog, made the experience even more special for me.  Thanks to Poetry Friday and SOL, my soul has found a home. I hope yours has too.   I love this Maya Angelou poem because it reminds me how important it is to make connections.

Alone
by Maya Angelou
Lying, thinking Last night How to find my soul a home Where water is not thirsty And bread loaf is not stone I came up with one thing And I don't believe I'm wrong That nobody, But nobody Can make it out here alone. Alone, all alone Nobody, but nobody Can make it out here alone. You can read the rest of the poem here. A small slice of good news!

I rarely send anything out to publishers, but last fall I decided to send a few poems to Spider magazine. I was so excited to get an email from the editor telling me they wanted to publish one of them!  I didn't want to tell anyone until I signed the contract. I guess I was afraid the editor would change her mind.  I don't know when my poem will appear in the magazine, I heard they have quite a backlog so it could be a while, but hey, it's something to look forward to!  

A Half-Billion Dollars!

I rarely buy a lottery ticket, but today's newspaper headline: "Mega Millions Jackpot at $500M" got me!  I bought not one, but three tickets!  Hey, what's three bucks when tomorrow I might be rich? Now I'm dreaming about what I'd do if I win the jackpot, so I decided to make a list. Since this is just for fun, and just off the top of my head, I didn't worry about putting them in any particular order. 

1.Give $50M to each of my sons.
2. Set up a trust fund for my grandchildren.
3.Split $100M among extended family members.
4.Move my mother in to live with me. Hire a private nurse to help care for her.
5.Take our entire family on a cruise. (I'll decide the destination later.)
6. Retire.
7. Make a large donation to each of the charities I help support.
8. Fund a scholarship program for single moms.
9. Pay off our mortgage.
10.Enroll in the Vermont College Children's Writers' Master program.

Well, that's all I can think of.  My chances are slim to none, but oh, it's so much fun to dream!
What would you put on your list if you were suddenly rich?

Migraines

A very short slice today. I have a migraine so being on the computer is especially difficult. I've been having 6-8 migraines a month for the past 30 yrs.  A variety of things can trigger a migraine. Perfume, bright light, and weather changes seem to be my biggest hazards.  I try to avoid them as much as possible. I teach in a middle school, so avoiding perfume is almost impossible. The boys are worse than the girls when it comes to over applying it! 

I have a rescue medication I take once the migraine starts, but it takes a couple of hours to work. I think I've been on just about every prescription medication out there, but none of them work all that well for me.  I used to take a daily preventative med until I experienced some negative side effects.  Now all I can do is to I try to take the med as soon as I feel a headache about to strike.  My insurance only pays for 6 doses a month so I usually wait until I'm sure it's going to be a migraine before I take the medicine. Migraines take the fun out of life. If you experience migraines, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  If you are someone who suffers from migraines, I would appreciate hearing about your experiences and anything you've found that helps with this condition.

After The End

With only a few more days in the March SOL Challenge, I've been thinking about how I'll spend my writing time each evening.  It's  been a challenge, especially in the beginning, to find time to write a blog entry every day, but since it was a priority, I made time.  I admit that most of my posts have taken a half hour or less, but those half hours add up.  It's funny that for years I've talked about scheduling writing time into my day, but I never thought I could find even a short amount of time. I was wrong!

So, it's got me thinking that if I'm able to set aside time for a challenge, I should be able to set aside to work on a writing project. I really want to do that. I'm just a little concerned that writing privately, without comments from a writing community to encourage me and keep me accountable, I'll get discouraged and give up again. I believe that if I could think of a project I'm excited about, it might be enough to motivate me to keep going.

I've been wondering if anyone else is feeling this way?  What are you going to do to keep yourself motivated to write after the challenge has ended?

Have you read ONE MONTH TO LIVE?

Thank you to the folks who stopped by and made comments on my Saturday slice Figuring Out My Life's Purpose. It meant a lot to me that you took time from your busy day to share your thoughts and advice.  You helped me realize that I'm not alone in my search.

I was feeling like I needed some time to myself yesterday so I skipped a few chores and went to one of my favorite places, Barnes and Noble.  As I browsed the "New Arrivals" table, a title caught my eye.  One Month to Live by Kerry and Chris Shook. I thumbed through and read a pages.  The tone seemed very compasionate, and I wanted to read more. I have so many questions about the direction and purpose of my life, I wondered if this little books could help me find the answers I need to feel at peace. I took the book to the cafe' and sat down with a cup of chai. Much of what I read was not new to me. Over the years, I've read dozens of self-help books that promise to guide you in finding your life's purpose. One thing I did like about this one is that it consists of daily strategies, small steps to change your life and live with no-regrets. Many of the steps like forgiving people and letting those you love know it, I've always done. 

I read the stategies that most applied to what I'm looking for. Once again, most of them were not new to me.  I left without buying the book because I thought it might end up on my shelf with the others. We're living on my income alone these days so I try to spend money on needs over wants. As I said, I already own a lot of self-help books. Also, the title One Month to Live grabbed my attention, but after a while the thinking about that concept started to feel depressing. I think it might make me even more anxious about finding my purpose before my time runs out!  : )

I'm wondering if any of you have read ONE MONTH TO LIVE, and if it really helped you find your life's purpose.  Was there another book you found more helpful? 

The Promises We Make

Yesterday, like most Sunday mornings, I arrived at the nursing home around 9:00 AM.  Mom is sitting in her room strapped in her wheelchair trying to feed herself.  When she hears me come in, she looks up from her tray but doesn’t recognize me, at least not at first.  Food littered across her tray and down the front of her blouse is a sign she is getting weaker. I smile and tell her she looks good. I I can’t let myself think about what's happening to her—so I just keep smiling. I ask if she needs help with breakfast. She shakes her head. I pretend not to notice as she lifts her fork, but misses her mouth. Feeding herself is one of the few things she is still able to do.

The nurse comes in to check on her progress.  Mom introduces me as “a visitor.” The nurse smiles in recognition and takes the tray.   I ask her how she's doing.  She tells me about her physical therapy and how she is able to walk on her own now.  She doesn’t remember that the doctor gave up on physical therapy months ago.  She believes she’s getting better. She describes how she walks through the halls all night long while the others are sleeping. She believes she’s going home, and asks when I'll come to pick her up. I quickly change the subject and begin to update her on family news.

I see a little spark in her eyes as she finally remembers me. She if I'll bring her a cell phone the next time I come so she can call her friends.  I know I can't do that because the last time she had a phone, she kept calling 911 and reporting her roommate missing. Besides, the one her friend she had is gone now. But, I tell her I'll bring the phone.  I don't want to upset her.  “Do you promise you'll bring it?" she asks. I nod and change the subject to the weather.  She thinks it's July and thinks it's funny that I'm wearing a jacket. I tell her that all the air conditioning makes me cold. She laughs.

When it’s time for me to leave, she asks me to meet her at the church later for Friday Night Bingo. I smile and nod. I don’t tell her that it's Sunday. I don’t tell her that she cannot leave the nursing home-
ever.  I don't tell her that she is never going home. Instead I smile and nod when she asks, “Do you promise?” 

I take her hand, “Yes, Mom, I promise. “ An hour from now, she won’t remember our conversation, she won't even remember that I came to visit. But, for a little while she is laughing and making plans. I can’t take her away the hope that keeps her believing in tomorrow, so I make  promises I know I can’t keep, and I pray that forgives me.

So Many Slices, So Little Time!

Are you enjoying the SOL challenge as much as I am?  I usually don't get to write until sometime after 9 PM, but I find myself thinking about my topic throughout the day.  I often "try out" an idea in my mind and let the excitement build until I can't  wait to get home, get my chores done and sit down to write!  Before the challenge, I mostly confined my writing to my journal.  It felt safe.  But because of the encouragement and support given by other slicers, I'm beginning to feel less self-conscious about sharing my words. I'm not quite to the point of feeling safe yet, but maybe that's not so bad.  Feeling too safe might cause me to be less attentive to improving my writing.

I also look forward to reading what other slicers are writing.  What a fascinating group of people we have in our writing community!  Each day, I look forward to reading your thoughts, poems, and stories. I try to read and comment on as many as I can.   I wish I could read more because I know I miss some great slices every day..

We're still in the early days of this challenge, and it's already helping me make writing a priority.I made a commitment when I joined the challenge, and that gives me permission to write every day. Having a daily deadline, is very motivating! But,I'm a little worried that after March 31, I might slide back into my old habit of putting writing on the back burner. I sometimes feel self-indulgent taking time every evening to focus on something just for me.  There's always plenty of housework and schoolwork I should/could be doing. So, the next challenge will be for me to KEEP writing when no one is looking.  I'm just not yet sure how I'll do that.

How will you keep yourself writing on a daily basis when the challenge is over?

Co-Curricular Period

Our school, has a 30 minute co-curricular activity period four days a week.  At the beginning of the year, teachers write descriptions for the topic they want to teach.  Then students choose the activity they will participate in for that term. The idea is to allow students to be enriched in an area they wouldn't normally have during the school day.  The list of topics range from astronomy to yoga.

Teachers and students and students have mixed feelings about the co-curricular activities.  One advantage of the program is that it give teachers an opportunity to share a topic they are passionate about with students. Students make connections with others who share their interests and see another side of their teachers.

But, there are some disadvantages too. For teachers, it is the extra planning and prep work it takes to teach an extra class every day.  I'm currently teaching a memoir writing class.  I put as much time into planning for this group of students as I do for my other classes. Another concern is that many of the students who end up in the class aren't there by choice. Students are asked to make first, second, and third choices on their sign-up sheets.  If a large number of students sign up for the same activities, some of them will end up in a class they may not want to be in. This can cause unhappy students,  and unhappy students can cause behavior problems for the teacher to deal with.

I'm not sure how this co-curricular period will mesh with the changes the common core curriculum are sure to bring. I like the concept of students having an enrichment period, but how much more can we pack in a day and still be effective teachers?

Does your school have a co-curricular program?  If so, how does your school use the time to benefit students without adding to teacher workload?

Poetry Lessons

I am a big fan of Mary Oliver's poetry. I learn so much from her poems. 

Praying

It doesn't have to be

the blue iris, it could be

weeds in a vacant lot, or a few

small stones; just

pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don't try
to make them elaborate, this isn't
a contest but the doorway

-Mary Oliver

I especially love the lines "pay attention, then patch/a few words together and don't try/to make them elaborate..." because it reminds me to keep it simple and just get what I want to say down on paper.  I tend to over-analyze things and make them more complicated than they are. That kind of thinking keeps me stuck not only in my writing, but also in teaching and in other areas of my life.

I also like the lines "this isn't/a contest but the doorway..." I'm not seeking fame or forunte with my writing. For me, writing is a doorway to learn about myself, keep memories alive, and connect with others. 

I jotted this list of  lessons poetry has taught me so far.
What I've Learned From Poetry

Be still.
Look, listen, feel.
Pay attention.
Say what you mean.
Speak from your heart.
Wait for the words.
Believe they will come.
Thank them when they do.
Tell your truth.
Take risks.
Make mistakes.
Learn from them.
Embrace your voice.
Embrace others.
Work hard.
But most importantly—
Celebrate the joy!

-Linda Kulp

So what has poetry taught you?  Leave me a comment and share your own poetry lessons.

I never know how much of a poem I can print without interfering with copyright,  so you can read the last lines of Mary Oliver's lovely poem here.

Ready for more Slices of Life? You can find a plateful here.
Then head on over to Dori Reads for Poetry Friday.

Happy Friday!