January | 2013 | Reflections on the Teche

Archive for January, 2013

Outside Salzburg

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, tagged Christmas cards, John Gibson, poetry, Salzburg Austria on January 29, 2013| 6 Comments »

John Gibson, artist

My parents went on a trip to Austria in March of 2004. On the train from Salzburg to Innsbruck, they took a photograph of this scene. My father did this pointillist drawing for his first in a series of Christmas cards. It proved to be one of the hardest to write about. The experience for them was magical, but when I think of this area of the world “Sound of Music” comes to mind. “The hills are alive…” and escaping Nazis. This scene is unblemished, yet the history scarred. Here is my attempt to capture this dichotomy.

Outside Salzburg
May we all find peace, joy, and hope in Christ’s love.

From the train, snow-covered hills beckon
outside Salzburg. The whistle echoes.
Trees stand tall and barren.
Weary travelers stare in wonder.

Somewhere in the distance,
a child is torn from his mother’s arms,
a beggar reaches out with empty hands,
Somewhere, a woman grieves for her lost lover.

But here– on the road to Innsbruck–
a church glistens on the smooth,
unblemished snow, calling out
Let
there
be
peace.

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Fair Play

Posted in Poetry Friday, Teaching, tagged fairy tales, Poetry prompts, The Time is Now on January 25, 2013| 7 Comments »

Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference is hosting today.

I subscribe to Poets and Writers The Time is Now writing prompts. This week the poetry prompt intrigued me.

“Choose any word from the dictionary and read its definitions. Write a poem using only the language of these definitions. Try repeating them in different combinations and using line break to create unexpected phrases. Experiment with how far you can push the limits of the language you’re working with. Use the word you’ve chosen as the title of the poem.”

I tried the exercise myself with varied results. I tried it with my elementary gifted students. At first I was worried. It took a while for them to even choose a word. My favorite came from a third grader. I’m not sure how much of the original definition became a part of her poem, but I loved her play with language.

Fair

People say you’re the fairest of them all.
Of course they say that in fairy tales,
you know,
when a fairy comes to help the fair lady.
She’s not that fair.
She is wicked. She is cruel.
The real fairest of them all
comes to help, to defeat
that so-called fair queen.
That’s why they say
you’re only fair
in fairy tales.

–Vannisa

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The Blessing of Reaching a Goal

Posted in Slice of Life, tagged half-marathon, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Team in Training on January 22, 2013| 3 Comments »

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“If you raise your children to feel that they can accomplish any goal or task they decide upon, you will have succeeded as a parent and you will have given your children the greatest of all blessings.”
Brian Tracy

I have raised three daughters. I am so proud of all three of them, but this weekend, I was especially proud of my middle daughter, Katherine. Growing up, Katherine played the usual sports: softball, volleyball, and soccer, but in high school, she injured her ankle and was unable to do sports. I never expected that she would be the first daughter to run a half-marathon. I talked to her about her experience and asked her to write about it. So, today, my guest blogger is my amazing daughter Katherine.

I knew I wanted to try to run something more significant than a 10K (6.2 miles), but needed something that would motivate me to really do it and not give up. My friends had done Team in Training, and I knew someone who worked there, and they said it was a great program, so I joined.

My entire journey with TNT was met with numerous obstacles when trying to find time to train and raise the money: vacation, new puppy, shorter days, rainy weather, iron deficiency….

My best run was definitely the 8 mile run with Dad over Christmas. We ran around town, and he told me stories the entire time, distracting me from the monotonous motion of continuous movement. He kept me talking, reassuring me that if I could talk, I could run a few more miles. This was the longest I’d ever run continuously.

The weather was horrible the two weeks leading up to the race. The Saturday before the race, however, was a beautiful day- sunny and low 70’s. I got out and ran 10 miles, stopping for water every 2 miles or so. It wasn’t a continuous run, and it wasn’t a very fast one, so I was still a bit discouraged.

I went into race weekend knowing that I hadn’t been as dedicated as I’d liked to have been, but I knew I had trained as much as I could with life going on and that I raised past my goal for LLS. I was excited but very nervous, not knowing how much I would be able to run on Sunday morning. LLS does an Inspiration Pasta Dinner the night before the race where we all get together, carbo-load and reconnect with the mission of TNT. The main speaker of the night, Jay, got up to speak about his connection to LLS and Team in Training. He was going to run the half-marathon the next day as well. He began speaking and a slideshow came up, showing images of a young red-headed girl. He spoke about his daughter Kayla, who was diagnosed with ALM Leukemia at 17 years old. He talked about her aggressive chemo treatments, her pain, her hair loss and his shaving his head for her. During her second round of chemo, she was feeling much better. Everyone in the room who did not know Jay thought this would be a story of healing. However, Jay then revealed that Kayla lost her battle with cancer in September of 2010. He has been running with Team in Training since, raising over $9000 in 2.5 years for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. There was not a dry eye in the room, and he received a standing ovation.

I woke up Sunday morning with shaking hands and put my running clothes on. I told myself that I just needed to pass the finish line. I hoped to maintain my training pace, 11:07, and finish between 2.5 and 2.75 hours. I had to run for over 2.5 hours straight!! The day was beautiful (but cold) and the energy was insane. Through the first 2 miles I was emotional, realizing how beautiful this day was and how lucky I was to be running this race, on this day, for this cause. Mile 3 and 4 were tough to get through, knowing I had so much more running to do. Once I got to miles 7, 8, and 9, I felt unstoppable. I was killing my pace and didn’t feel like I was dying. Once I got around mile 10, I was loosing steam. I approached a water station and grabbed a cup, stopping to drink it because I can’t drink and run. I didn’t know if I could make the next 3.1 miles running. Then I saw Jay. He ran past me with Kayla’s name across his shirt and photos of her on a poster hanging from his back. This was just the inspiration I needed, and I kept going. I finished with an average pace of 10:56 per mile and a time of 2 hours and 26 minutes. Absolutely one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

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The Star Still Leads

Posted in Poetry, Poetry Friday, tagged ekphrasis, Epiphany, John Gibson on January 18, 2013| 12 Comments »

Artwork by John Gibson

I attend the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, so Sunday, Jan. 6th was our feast day. For the occassion, Bishop Jake Owensby visited and preached at the service. He talked about how the wise men were not searching for a certain geographical location, but for a person. His whole sermon can be found on his blog, Pelican Anglican.

I was inspired by Bishop Jake’s words when I picked up this card from my collection. I tried to capture the idea of our continual search in this poem.

The Star Still Leads
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

Wise men traveled a great distance
with a will
strong enough to carry them
over hills and dunes,
through nights of wind,
storms, and cold.
All in search of a person.

Life is a destination
recorded in scrapbooks
dated photographs,
no east, south,
west, or north,
but names, people we love,
people who sustain us in hope.

We are revealed to God,
our calloused hands curled
in prayer,
we reach up,
fervently asking
for relationship, for health, for understanding.
Asking for a star.

all rights reserved, Margaret Simon

Violet is hosting the round-up today. Check it out!

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Possum

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, tagged bayou, flood, possum, prose poetry on January 15, 2013| 8 Comments »

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The bayou creeps closer and closer. A view from our back deck.

It’s been raining a lot. Last week, we only school for two days before we had two days off due to constant rain and flooding. The water has stayed a safe distance from my house, but the bayou banks are overflowing. I think this puts my pets into hibernation mode, but the outside animals, what do they do? Where do they go to find a warm, dry place?

I am not a fan of possums usually. They upset my dog and eat the cat food. They are downright ugly. But on Saturday morning, I watched one swim across the bayou and eventually climb up on our deck. I wrote a prose poem about his visit.

I watch a possum glide in this morning on the overflowing bayou.
Days and days of rain have flooded the banks and perhaps his nest.
Foraging, this common marsupial wanders–a scavenger exposed on an overcast winter morn. Minutes later, he appears on the deck. The dog goes nuts, barking in the screeching voice of a teenager attacked by a wasp. But the possum—unfazed—doesn’t notice the commotion.
He is on a mission, his long snout waving back and forth,
back and forth. I laugh at his comic book white face and pink nose as he swaggers away, probably laughing, too.

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Mr. Al

Posted in Poetry Friday, tagged found poem, Mr. Al oak tree on January 10, 2013| 5 Comments »

Renee is hosting Poetry Friday today.

A found poem is a form of poetry using existing text and fashioning it into a poem. My students enjoy this kind of poetry because it seems easy; Just find some golden lines, put them together, and voilà, a poem!
“Poems hide in things you and others say and write. They lie buried in places where language isn’t so self-conscious as ‘real poetry’ often is. [Writing found poems] is about keeping your ears and eyes alert to the possibilities in ordinary language” (Dunning and Stafford, Getting the Knack: 20 Poetry Exercises.) For a complete lesson on Found Poetry, go to Read, Write, Think.

Watercolor painting of Mr. Al by Jerome Weber

In May of 2011, an old oak tree was saved by a group of community members. At the time, I involved my students in writing letters to save the tree. It was moved with much effort and at a high cost. I pass this tree every day as I drive to school. A friend of mine is the arborist hired to care for Mr. Al. On Tuesday, the newspaper had an update on Mr. Al’s health. The title of the article was “Looking a Little Thin but OK, Mr. Al weathering it all.”

Weather forecasters predict severe storms.
One resident is not concerned.
Mr. Al, 120 years old,
is setting down roots
in his new home.

Weighing 800,000 pounds,
such a move can put significant
strain on his magnitude,
a pretty mean way to treat an old tree.

The stately oak looks thin
but this is normal for his type.
He’s catching up.

Come and sit by my roots,
invites Mr. Al,
and think the things that
an old guy thinks.
–Margaret Simon, all rights reserved

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Dare to be Different

Posted in Teaching, tagged cerebral palsy, paralympics, Team Bryce on January 8, 2013| 9 Comments »

Read other Slice of Life writers at The Two Writing Teachers

Yesterday was our first day back at school for 2013. Rather than making resolutions, I asked my students to pick One Little Word for the New Year. So we brainstormed possible words, words like responsibility, joy, integrity, courage, brave, bold, etc. Some students even wrote a poem about their word choice.

Brooklyn is a fifth grade student. She is quietly inspiring to all who know her. She is the school’s choice for Student of the Year and will soon compete for the district. Brooklyn is the younger sister of an amazing athlete. Her brother, Bryce, has won National Championships. Brooklyn, however, does not feel she is in his shadow. Instead, she is doing whatever she can to help Bryce reach his goal of being an Olympic athlete.

Recently on a regular weekly language workbook page, Brooklyn was asked to write a paragraph about a unique person. Here is her paragraph:

One of the many unique people I know is my brother. He is disabled. He has a type of Cerebral Palsy. It only affects his lower body. Even though he has this disability, it doesn’t stop him from doing whatever he puts his head to. My brother, Bryce, does different sports. Bryce does track, field, and power lifting. He even has 7 national records. My brother is truly unique.

Brooklyn is unselfishly devoted to her brother. She has created a Facebook page for him as he continues to train. Team Bryce

Brooklyn wrote with conviction when she decided that her word for 2013 would be “different.” Brooklyn knows that supporting her brother, being the wind beneath his wings, makes her stronger, makes her shine, makes her different.

I will be different.
I will be outstanding.
I will be the one.
I will be shining.
I will be decorative.
I will be different.

I will be known.
I will be independent.
I will be capable.
I will be courageous.
I will be caring.
I will be different.

I will be giving.
I will be helpful.
I will be faithful.
I will be clever.
I will be me.
She who stands out
and is the only me.
I will be different.

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Dance of the Trees

Posted in Poetry Friday, tagged blues, Christmas cards, John Gibson, poetry on January 4, 2013| 10 Comments »

Artwork by John Gibson, 2011

When I was growing up, I would watch my father draw. He loves to draw trees. And somehow, he sees more about trees than I see. I think an artist must see more than we see. He makes the trees come alive on the page.

As I work on my poetry project about my father’s art, I remember growing up in Mississippi on the banks of Purple Creek, playing in the woods, building forts and pretending to live in the wild frontier like Laura Ingalls Wilder. I remember hiking with a friend and choosing “our” own tree.

So I was thinking all these things, trees in art, growing up in Mississippi, and working on the craft of poetry when I came across a blues poem by Etheridge Knight that inspired a rhythm in me.

A Poem for Myself
I was born in Mississippi;
I walked barefooted thru the mud.
Born black in Mississippi,
walked barefoot through the mud…

This is my favorite poem that I have written so far. Sometimes you work on a poem over and over, and sometimes they just come. This one came, and I am grateful to my Creator for giving it to me.

Dance of the Trees
—Look at trees, think of God who comes to bring love.
I watch you watching trees.
I watch you watching those trees
outside your window in the loft.
If you could walk on the roof,
If you could walk out on that roof and touch them,
You could feel their hearts beating,
their hearts beating out the rhythm of the wind.
I watch you drawing the trees.
I watch you drawing those trees
in perfect chiaroscuro, shading just so
Just so they come alive and dance.
The trees dance in the moonlight
when you draw them.
When you draw them, God’s hand moves.
God’s hand is moving.

Matt is hosting Poetry Friday today.

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Old Year, New Year

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, tagged New Year, One Little Word on January 1, 2013| 8 Comments »

Sunset at Lake Martin, photographed by Leon Henry.

My pipe is out, my glass is dry;
My fire is almost ashes too;
But once again, before you go,
And I prepare to meet the New:
Old Year! a parting word that’s true,
For we’ve been comrades, you and I —
I thank God for each day of you;
There! bless you now! Old Year, good-bye!
–Robert William Service, The Passing of the Year

I thank God for each day of 2012. But today, I say hello to 2013.

Last night as I was drifting off to sleep with the pop, bang, boom of our neighbor’s fireworks, I was thinking about the night creatures. What do they think about this silly human tradition of setting fire to the sky at night?

Where do the owls go
when you set the sky on fire
with your loud, booming works?
Drowning out the who of my nighttime friend,
you celebrate intolerably, sending flares,
screaming as if chased by a bee.
This noise just can’t be right.
Where did the owls go tonight?

Read other Slice of Life writers at The Two Writing Teachers

Over at Two Writing Teachers, New Year’s Day Slices of Life are being collected. We have been challenged not to set New Year’s resolutions, but to select One Little Word to live by this year. This has been a challenge for me because it’s not really a word that I want, but an attitude. I want to value my work, whatever that work may be. I want to see it as significant to the greater good. But I want to be gentle with myself at the same time. So this year, my one little word is acceptance.

In William Zinsser’s book On Writing Well, he speaks of the audience for your writing: “It is a fundamental question with a fundamental answer; you are writing for yourself. Entertain yourself. You are who you are, so relax and say what you want to say.” So, to whoever is reading today, I am here on Jan. 1, 2013 to declare a new attitude. Acceptance!

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