Miscellaneous Missives

Thirst by Claude McKay My spirit wails for water, water now! My tongue is aching dry, my throat is hot For water, fresh rain shaken from a bought, Or dawn dews heavy in some leafy spot. My hungry body's burning for a swin In sunlit water where the air is cool, As in Trout Valley where upon a limb The golden finch sings sweetly to the pool. Oh water, water, when the night is done, When day steals gray-white through the windowpane, Clear silver water when I wake, alone, All important of parts, of fevered brain; Pure water from a forest fountain first, To wash me, cleanse me, and to quench my thirst. Thirst is an interesting word because I feel that we all thirst for something.  I'm thinking of thirst as a verb and not a noun.  The people of Flint are not only thirsting for clean water, they are thirsting for recognition of a problem.  Bottled water is only a bandaid on a problem caused by ill will and greed.  As some of my students have narrowed th...

Picture of Mississippi River from Yesterday's Ride While I Am Writing a Poem to Celebrate Summer, the Meadowlark Begins to Sing   by Mary Oliver Sixty-seven years, oh Lord, to look at the clouds, the trees in deep, moist summer, daisies and morning glories opening every morning their small, ecstatic faces-- Or maybe I should just say how I wish I had a voice like the meadowlark's sweet, clear, and reliably slurring all day long from the fencepost, or the long grass where it lives in a tiny but adequate grass hut beside the mullein and the everlasting, the faint-pink roses that have never been improved, but come to bud then open like little soft sighs under the meadowlark's whistle, its breath-praise, its thrill-song, its anthem, its thanks its alleluia.  Alleluia, oh Lord. Another Sunday brings the word celebrate once again.  Yesterday's weather was a reason to celebrate.  It helped me make the decision to ignore grading and hit...

Wildpeace by Yehuda Amichai Not the peace of a cease-fire not even the vision of the wolf and the lamb but rather as in the hear when excitement is over and you can talk only about great weariness I know that I know how to kill, that makes me an adult. And my son plays with a toy gun that knows how to open and close its eyes and say Mama. A peace without the big noise of beating swords into ploughshares, without words, without thud of the heavy rubber stamp;  let it be light, floating, like a lazy white foam. A little rest for the wounds-- who speaks of healing? (And the howl of the orphans is passed from one generation to the next, as in a relay race; the baton never falls.) Let it come  like wildflowers, suddenly, because the field must hav it:  wildpeace Heal( ing) is something we all need.  It seems many times this healing takes hard work and patience.  I'm typically good with hard work, but I often struggle with the patience...

The Swan by Mary Oliver Did you too see it, drifting, all night, on the black river? Did you see it in the morning, rising into the silvery air-- An armful of white blossoms, A perfect commotion of silk and linen as it leaned  into the bondage of its wings; a snowbank, a bank of lilies, Biting the air with its black beak? Did you hear it, fluting and whistling  A shrill dark music-- like the rain pelting the trees-- like a waterfall Knifing down the black ledges? And did you see it, finally just under the clouds-- A white cross streaming across the sky, it's feet Like black leaves, its wings Like the stretching light of the river? And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything? And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for? And have you changed your life? See .  It's interesting that the word vision was used prior to the word see.  Once a week, I show a picture and the kids write about it using Perceive.  I've...

Surprised by Joy by William Wordsworth Surprised by joy-- impatient as the Wind I turned to share the transport -- Oh! with whom But Thee, long buried in the silent Tomb, That spot which no vicissitude can find? Love, faithful love, recalled thee to my mind-- But how could I forget thee? -- Through what power, Even for the least division of an hour, Have I been so beguiled as to be blind To my most grievous loss! -- That thought's return Was the worst pang that sorrow ever bore, Save one, one only, when I stood forlorn, Knowing my heart's best treasure was no more; That neither present time, nor years unborn Could to my sight that heavenly face restore. Joy seems more like a Christmas word than a Lenten word.  It's also a word that is sometimes difficult to find in February.  It's turning out to be a joyful week after a slow start.  Tuesday night I met  friends for dinner.  They are wonderful women who bring joy even when life is stressful....

Lilies by Mary Oliver I have been thinking about living like the lilies that blow in the fields They rise and fall in the edge of the wind, and have no shelter from the tongues of cattle, and have no closets or cupboards, and have no legs. Still I would like be  as wonderful as the old idea. But if I were a lily I think I would wait all day for the green face of the hummingbird to touch me. What I mean is, could I forget myself even in those feathery fields When Van Gogh preached to the poor  of course he wanted to save someone-- most of all himself. He wasn't a lily, and wandering through the bright fields only gave him more ideas it would take his life to solve. I think I will always be lonely in this world, where the cattle graze like a black and white river-- where the vanishing lilies melt, without protest, on their tongues-- where the hummingbird, whenever there is a fuss, just rises and floats away. Shelter.  I can't...

Covenant by Tennessee Williams If you are happy, I will give you an apple, if you are anxious, I will twist your arm, and if you permit me, I will be glad to hold you close to my heart forever and do you no harm. If I am happy, will you give me an apple? If I am anxious, you may twist my arm. And if you would like to, I would like you to hold me close to your heart forever and do me no harm. This is a bargain, only two can make it. This is a covenant offered with desperate calm, it being uncertain that lovers can drive out demons  with the gift of an apple or the twist of an arm. Posting in the morning is good because I can sit and drink my coffee while perusing my pictures for one that matches the word.  Finding poems and songs is also typically a pleasant experience, unless, of course, the word is covenant (Today's song has no lyrics).  A covenant is a promise, a pledge, a guarantee... I made a covenant with myself to work out at least three times ...

"In order to carry a positive action, we must develop here a positive vision."  ~Dalai Lama Vision by Robert Penn Warren I shall build me a house where the larkspur blooms In a narrow glad in an alder wood, Where the sunset shadows make violet glooms, And a whip-poor-will calls in eerie mood. I shall lie on a bed of river sedge, And listen to the glassy dark, With a guttered light on my window ledge, While an owl stares in at me white and stark. I shall burn my house with the rising dawn, And leave, but the ashes and smoke behind, And again give the glade to the owl and the fawn, When the grey wood smoke drifts away with the wind. Vision is different than sight.  Vision is more of an anticipation or perhaps even an understanding of sight.  It seems to me that visions sometimes are actually similar to goals and dreams although I'm not sure how any of this fits into Lent.  Yesterday in church, we made a large circle at the end of communion. ...

"Each day holds a surprise.  But only if we expect it can we see, hear, or feel it when it comes to us.  Let's not be afraid to receive each day's surprise, whether it comes to us as sorrow or as joy, it will open a new place in our hearts, a place where we can welcome new friends and celebrate more fully our shard humanity."  ~Henri Nouwen Celebrate!  It seems each Sunday during Lent is celebrate.  Last night I had the opportunity to listen to Sherman Alexie at the Northrup Auditorium.   He was irreverent, hilarious, thought provoking, energetic...  It was an amazing evening.  He talked everything from the rez to politics.  He made fun of the outdoor hockey fans who were drunk at breakfast stating even Indians on the rez aren't drunk at breakfast.  He also talked about the crazy radical left wing progressives.  First, he talked about how people in Seattle played Journey (instead of a black musician's music) when Obama wa...

There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as though everything is a miracle.    ~Albert Einstein Live and let live is a better quote than live and let die.  Live and let live means that I will live my life and be accepting of others as they will do the same for me.  This all seems like a great plan, but last night when a friend and I pulled into a local establishment (local = local, Okoboji, Iowa), I was appalled by the Trump bumper sticker in the back of a truck window.  How can people be this stupid or racist or...?  Basically, I would rather everyone hold the same belief system as me.  It, unfortunately, doesn't always work like this.  Soooo.... I really think I'm going to caucus for Trump.  Have I written this before?  Although I think Trump is an evil person, I think Cruz is more of an evil person.  I also am fairly confident that Bernie will do better than ...

Nalo's birthday would have been Valentines' Day. She passed in January. "Love is like the wind.  You can't see it, but you can feel it."  ~Nicholas Sparks Today's word is love .  I love that I actually took a personal day today to visit friends and loved ones.  Although I will leave my house in less than 15 minutes (5:30am) and won't be able to sleep in, it's going to be a great day.  Since it's early, and I merely want to finish my love post, I'll write more upon my return.  It's a quick 36 hour trip to God's Country and back. I give thanks for... 1) a personal day 2) pets that have blessed my life 3) God's Country

"A true friend encourages us, comforts us, supports us like a big easy chair, offering us a safe refuge from the world."  ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.  Refuge Although my dad no longer has a permanent home (he's renting his place) in Okoboji, I still consider it my refuge.  Tomorrow I'm taking a personal day to go "home" and hang with some special people.  The lakes area is my refuge.  Primarily, it's because of the relationships I've formed with people who still live there.  One of my best friends, whose known me since high school or before, is that refuge.  Of course, we are in constant communication via all forms of technology, but there's a special connection when we are able to sit for hours and talk in person.  It's more, however, than the people.  Something about the lakes (frozen or white capped or calm) and the plains make me feel comfortable and relaxed (at home, my refuge).  I will cherish my short trip to this refuge an...

He need some milk- "Having a violent accident so bad, it's obvious from afar that ll of your bones are broken." ie  "Once Kendall had hit the ground from his faulty parachute jump, it was obvious he need some  milk." Soooo.... this is what I learned today at work. You're welcome.

"And I say the sacred hoop of my people was one of the many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew on mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children..." ~ Black Elk Mighty is a mighty big word, and I'm not sure that I really like it.  It seems to be about one person being mighty.  Perhaps, I'd rather stick with might.  Might seems like something we all have.  Maybe I'm thinking of it as I would powerful.  We're not all powerful although we all have power.  When I saw this word I thought of the book Freak the Mighty, and even wanted to sit down and reread the book.  I MIGHT do this but probably not. I've started posting (at least the last couple of days) in the morning.  When I get up early enough, I really like it, but it means my gratitudes are typically from the previous day. I give thanks for... 1) Tuesday Happy Hour (engaging with a colleague) 2) a new cycling event (April Fool's w...

"So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact.  And remember life's a Great Balancing Act.  And will you succeed?  Yes, you will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed).  Kid, you'll move mountains." "Oh, the places you'll go!  There's fun to be done! There are points to be scored.  There are games to be won." ~Dr. Seuss   Oh, The Places You'll Go GO !  Most of the time, when I think of the word go, I think of sporting events and going somewhere.  In fact, I wish I was going somewhere for spring break. Today I GO back to work after a long weekend.  I should be energized after the long weekend, but I'm not feeling it. The Cyclones play an away game tonight at Baylor.  Go 'Clones! Go is a tough word to write about especially at 6:00 in the morning.  I better finish my coffee. Today I'm thankful for... 1) coffee and warmer weather 2) books- I started reading Pose, Wobble,  Flow:  A Cultura...

Home by Phillip Phillips "Settle down, it'll all be clear Don't pay no mind to the demons They fill you with fear The trouble-- it might drag you down If you get lost, you can always be found Just know you're not alone..." At first when I saw the word "settle," I thought of it as a negative as in one should settle for something.  Settle down, also came to mind as a negative command.  At church yesterday, I was actually thinking of the word (I was looking at the list of words) when I realized settle is of a calm, a peace.  Lent should be a time of reflection, of slowing down, of calm, of peace... a time to settle.  All too often my mind and body are racing from one thing to another.  This weekend, partially due to not feeling well or being overly tired, I've had the opportunity to settle.  I think it's a good thing this settling.  Perhaps I need to do it more often. Gratitudes of today... 1) using this weekend to settle 2) awaiti...

won't you celebrate with me won't you celebrate with me what i have shaped into a kind of life?  i had no model. born in babylon both nonwhite and woman what did i see to except myself? i made it up her on the bridge between starshine and clay, my one hand holding tight my other hand; come celebrate with me that everyday something has tried to kill me  and has failed. ~Lucille Clifton Celebrate seems like a strange word for Lent, and it shows up several times on the list of words for the forty days.  It seems I'll have to get creative.  Anyway, although I'm not "nonwhite," I do feel as though I've had to build some bridges throughout my life.  Most of the bridges have led to wonderful friendships.  Yesterday, I had the chance to communicate with several of these friends.  I am truly blessed and have reasons to celebrate. Happy Valentine's Day!!  Spend time with special people. Today I give thanks for... 1) long lasting ...

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."  Martin Luther King Jr. Imagine by John Lennon Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Imagine all the people living for today Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people living life in peace, you You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope some day you'll join us And the world will be as one Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people sharing all the world, you Injustice seems like such a big word.  The research my seventh graders will do at the end of this month will deal with injustices.  They're researching the top ten world problems which in my opinion are a result of injustice. Here's part of the list: 1) Income Inequality 2) Pollution 3) Severe Weather Events 4...

All I Need to Know I Learned In Kindergarten ...When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic,  hold hands and stick together. Be aware of wonder.   Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The Roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that... And then remember the Dick and Jane books and the first word you learned-- the biggest word of all-- LOOK! by Robert Fulghum For some odd reason, the first thing that came to my mind when I saw today's word was " She's Got the Look ."  On the way to work, I continued thinking about the word as I looked to the eastern sky.   The vast purplish blue sky was dotted with grey fluffy clouds.  Because my windshield was dirty, I couldn't merely take a picture at a stoplight.  By the time I entered the parking lot, the sky had already changed and houses were blocking some of the view.  I guess the important idea for today it t...

You're the Voice  We have the chance to turn the pages over We can write what we want to write We gotta make ends meet, before we get much older We're all someone's daughter We're all someone's son How long can we look at each other Down the barrel of a gun? You're the voice try and understand it Make a noise and make it clear We're not gonna sit in silence We're not gonna live with fear... by John Farnham Today's word is voice.  Last year we had a staff activity at which we needed to make a group book.  On one of the pages we needed to explain why we teach.  My page described giving kids a voice.  It's really why I do what I do.  Sometimes, however, I forget that these seventh graders are also listening to my stories.  Earlier in the year, when we were talking about insecurities in order to build some trust and understanding in my classroom, I shared some of my insecurities.  I also told the story about when I was in middle ...

Gather Us In Here in this place new light is streaming, now is the darkness vanished away; see in this space our fears and our dreamings brought here to you in the light of the day. Gather us in, the lost and forsaken gather us in, the blind and the lame; call to us now, and we shall awaken, we shall arise at the sound of our name. We are the young, our lives are a mystery, we are the old who yearn for your face; we have been sung throughout all of history, called to be light to the whole human race. Gather us in, the rich and the haughty, gather us in, the proud and the strong; give us a heart, so meek and so lowly, give us the courage to enter the song. Her we will take the wine and the water, here we will take the bread of new birth, here you shall call your sons and your daughters, call us anew to be salt for the earth. Give us to drink the wine of compassion, give us to eat the bread that is you; nourish us well, and teach u...

Tonight is round two of conferences for this trimester.   As I was on my way to the restroom before the parents arrived, I had this conversation with two girls. G1 - Have you seen Ms. M- She went to the Mall of America to go shopping. Both G1 and G2 stare at me. M- She's doing her Christmas shopping. G1- In February? M- Yes, she likes to get an early start. G2- You know that's a lie.  Teachers don't go to the Mall of America because they don't want to run into their students. M- Good point.  I don't know where she is.

Let's be honest, Saturday night is often about staying home and trying to catch up.  Last night I was trying to finish Orphan Master's Son , but since it's on my iPad I kept checking other (any!) sites to keep me entertained.  When my friend (who truly is a grammar nerd) posted this, another friend (also a grammar nerd) and I started to respond. M- If they're is a problem, I'll come save you even if their mean. J- I'll come to. S (original poster)- It burns!  It burns! M- I think its the write thing too due. J- Your write on track, M.  S, I hope ewe no that were always their four ewe. M- S, seams to bee ignoring the game. S- I thot u wer mi frenz. Sooo... It's official.  I'm lame and don't have a life.  It, however, was certainly more entertaining than reading Orphan's Master's Son .

Last weekend, I spent Saturday and Sunday at the Google Apps for Education (GAFE) Summit.  It destroyed my weekend.  This morning I presented at the Minnesota Writing Project/Minnesota Department of Education Saturday Session.  It also took too much time away from my weekend.   My presentation merely highlighted some of the applications I use in my language arts classroom.  At the last minute, I added a slide to show the new app I am investigating.  Actually, I'm excited about it and think it will be great for group research. I think it's worth taking a look .  It can be set up in a variety of ways.  One idea is to put tasks on cards in the "Things to Start" column.  Group members choose tasks and work them through the variety of columns (In Progress, Done, Confirmed Done).  Although it's not an education app, I think it has education uses.   My plan is to use it for research.  The seventh graders are going to research s...

Today the seventh graders went to Richardson Nature Center for a day of looking at Raptors, snowshoeing and a bit of sledding.  Yesterday's six to eight inches of fluffy snow made for a perfect day, a winter wonderland.  Because people are nice to me, I was able to stay outside (snowshoeing and sledding) all day and didn't have to watch the Raptors being fed dead furry creatures although some students felt the need to share this experience at lunch.   During the first morning snowshoeing excursion, the naturalist asked the students to pause and be silent for sixty seconds.  It took two or three tries, but soon everyone was quiet and listening to nature.  This was at the same time I witnessed this beautiful sight and decided to take a picture.  Unfortunately, I had not muted my sound, so the silence of the group was broken by the sound of my phone taking a picture.   As we were snowshoeing in another group, a student wanted to take ...

Although I'm not a fan of winter, it's beautiful. During my second hour class, my phone kept alerting me to multiple texts.  Due to the fact that I don't typically get multiple texts in a row while I'm at school, I walked over to check my phone.  When I realized it was a group text from three intelligent friends whom I had texted with last night during the caucus, I sent my own text, "Isn't anyone working today?"  The truth is that all three of them were homebound due to snow (two in separate locations in Iowa and the other in Colorado).  Two more text came in.  The first stated that "God looked down at us last night and said, 'You know these ladies deserve a day off.  They worked hard... Not that M though.  Give Minneapolis blue skies.'"  The other offered apologies. I read the first aloud to my class.  They immediately said that my friends were mean.  I agreed, and we went back to work.  Truthfully, I'm glad our snow came late...