I’ve been raising monarchs. See this post. I am also planning for hybrid teaching, some in person, some virtual. Finding my direction through these tasks has challenged me in new ways.
The word alchemy came across my radar. I found this definition: “a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination.” The process of metamorphosis is alchemy and in many ways, so is the way we have to teach this year. I decided to mine alchemist for words using Wordmaker. Following a poetic process created by April Halprin Wayland, I wrote a poem that probably doesn’t make sense to anybody but me. Let’s just say, finding my direction through this unique school year has taken some proactive effort. (The words from Wordmaker are in bold.)
Finding Direction
Connect line by line, etch
Margaret Simon, draft
a trail through calm
worry, eyes that smile
despite each
new hurdle to scale.
Raise the latch
and release butterfly-mail
to the gods of ethics—
Teach.
Reflections on the Teche 
I love “release butterfly-mail.” We had a monarch emerge over the weekend for release, and hubby woke me up at 2:00 this morning because a black swallowtail decided it was time to be released. Two more chrysalises remain, one of each species. This tending to the natural world, the protection of a few of the beauties from predation and weather…it’s good for the heart and soul. It’s so much like teaching…
Protection, exactly. How do we protect our learners? Thanks for your response. Good luck with your butterfly babies.
Such glory in your photos, Margaret – and such beauty in your lines. Love that the process may not “make sense to anyone” but you – I think that’s entirely what artistry is. Something not quite definable but definitely, powerfully “alive” – like these monarchs.Heavy, dark thread there with “god of ethics” – the anxiety of still trying to do what’s best for kids in a virtual way. It is not lost on me that the monarch butterfly is a symbol of mental health! Butterfly-mail … the rising of our prayers on new wings.
Fran, by golly, I think you got it. The thread of trying to do the right thing is what I was trying to accomplish. Thanks.
Your poem has a nice rhythm, I like this etched trail you’ve given us “through calm worry” and “butterfly-mail.” Thanks for your poem, helping monarchs, and your perseverance with teaching! Wishing you inspiring teaching moments filled with the grandness of monarch’s effortless swoops and fluttering flights.
While reading this post last week, I realized today that I did not respond. Your poem has provided me with a new technique to calm my worries: “etch
a trail through calm
worry”
With my house not sold yet and the closing date for my VA home on November 18th, I am filled with worry and the stress level rises. COVID has left us not being able to celebrate my son and daughter’s birthdays as a family. There is fear of visiting VA and then coming back to have to quarantine for 14 days as we try to sell our house. Thanks for the encouraging words, Margaret.
I can totally relate to your “calm worry,” as I’m teaching in that whole hybrid mode myself. Thank you for this!
Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com