At the end of every month, the Poetry Sisters put out a challenge for their group as well as any others who may want to give it a shot.
Today’s call came from Mary Lee Hahn. She borrowed the prompt from Colby Sharp’s collection The Creativity Project. “It was all my fault.”
There are hard things as well as joyful things when taking responsibility for a seven year old. My daughter is on a work trip, so I am responsible for getting Thomas up, fed, dressed, and to school by 7:35 sharp each morning. I wished I could have written a note to his teacher. “This is Just to say…”
Dearest First Grade Teacher,
This is just to say
it’s all my fault
he has no water bottle today,
his hair is misaligned,
his shirt untucked.
We were in a rush,
you see. The dogs needed feeding,
homework reading, and of course,
the nerf gun reloading.
Please forgive me
if he is a little off his rhythm.
We did text his mom “I love you”
and I pecked a kiss in carpool line.
We are both doing the best we can.
Sincerely,
Mamére
This made me laugh right out loud! Dear friends were urgently called away – one to a NYC legal briefing and the other to another country for a funeral tradition that would not wait – and so I found myself with a week of a five-year-old who was caught off guard by the whole thing and deeply indignant that she had not been consulted.
It did not go well.
I wished with all my heart to have crafted a letter just like this!
Oh my! Thank goodness you were available to step in. Were temper tantrums involved? Whoosh.
So. Many. Tantrums. She wanted no baths, no bedtime, no TV turn off. And cute, much less combed hair? It felt like we fought all five days. But we survived.
Tantrums are so hard to handle. You know in your mind not to give in, but it’s hard to hold it together.
love this. My favorite Frost poem, so much so, that I had it in my wedding. Perfect
Wonderful! So real, true, and loving.
Margaret, your poem has a striking rememberance of grandma sittings, times 3 little girls. I love the way you used the prompt. The photo of Thomas is adorable also.
Big smiles!!! Glad you are making time for the I love yous. xo
ha! Oh, my. I have lived hundreds of those mornings. I like how this poem is simple words but mean much bigger activity to the reader. Thank GOODNESS for teachers that establish the classroom routines that help kids regulate and get down to schooling. I think texting Mom, ‘I love you’ is a most important thing that got done. Still, giggles of recognition here.
oh, fooey…I responded and then the response disappeared when I then had to log in to Word Press. Ugh! I hate it when that happens. I said something along the lines of how this poem gave me giggles of recognition. It’s so simply worded but the reader understands the big feelings behind the words…well done! I’m so glad mom got the “I love you text.” That’s super important!
I think your first response went through. Ugh on the log in.
Oh, Mamére! You did your best (and so did Thomas)! I agree with Linda — getting the text off to mom was WAY more important than a water bottle and well-combed hair!
PS — I, too, have had some tragic and regretful disasters over the course of my butterfly motherhood. We do our best and focus on the ones we successfully raise.
What a delight, Margaret! Not only is the poem so true (loved needing to reload the nerf gun!), but the picture is worth a thousand words. Love how you ended with the important stuff.
I LOVE this note to the teacher, Margaret. Perfect.
I don’t have grandkids yet but when I do, I’m guessing that all my momming-skills and planning prowess will prove to be rusty. 😀
Hee hee hee–the details you selected are very perfectly ordinary. Way to go, Mamere!
Oh Margaret, This is just to say… what a wonderful, heart-filled love letter for a precious morning with a grandchild. And such a great prompt line!
I love “This is Just to Say” poems! This was a perfect response to your experience.
Such a heartfelt, lovely-lively-humor filled poem, wish you could send it to his teacher too, though one never knows how they will react… Thanks Margaret!