Category Archives: poetry

Slice of Life Day 9: Current Conditions

Here we are at day 9 of the Slice of Life Challenge! Today had me thinking: you know, even though it seems corny for stories to have the weather reflect moods in characters, I have to admit that sometimes…well, sometimes the weather gets it right. Oh!,perhaps,she pondered,upon seeingthe weather outsideas it rained, snowed, threatenedto growContinue reading “Slice of Life Day 9: Current Conditions”

Slice of Life Challenge, Day 1: Gone Fishin’

Hooray for the Slice of Life Challenge! This is year 4 for me – which is pretty tough to believe. I’m maybe a little proud of myself for sticking with it. Now…this is a year where life is a little…googly-eyed, shall we say. So, I’m not confident I’ll make it every day. I’ll sure giveContinue reading “Slice of Life Challenge, Day 1: Gone Fishin’”

Slice of Life Tuesday: Write-Along

Each year, I have my students craft forced association poems, where they pull together a poem that’s written about one thing…but it’s really about another. We start by thinking of places or things (usually in nature) important to us: that one lilac bush, the park we love to play at, a favorite tree. Then, weContinue reading “Slice of Life Tuesday: Write-Along”

Slice of Life Tuesday: The Big Five-Oh

Fifty. So this is fifty. I’m taking a look at this gal. She’s been through stuff.She has seen stuff, and has LEARNED stuff. She knows birthdays are brim-full of expectation,days that demandjoydays that belongto her And yet She also knows a birth day(just like the ideaof turning fifty)is messy,tangled, not what peoplecrack it up toContinue reading “Slice of Life Tuesday: The Big Five-Oh”

Slice of Life Tuesday: Ask Me (almost) Anything

Lately, asking me how I am will reveal…well, really any number of things, depending ontime of daywhat I ate for breakfasthow I’m feelingwhether or not there’s chocolate in the copy room stashwhich way the wind is blowingSo I thought I’d give you a slightly more helpful guide Ask me:How I like the weather latelyHow myContinue reading “Slice of Life Tuesday: Ask Me (almost) Anything”

Slice of Life: Testing, Testing

Standardized testing. It has me feeling some kind of way. I can’t be alone in this. I know we are legion, those of us wanting to teach in a way that aligns with our moral compass. We are legion, those of us in systems that say they are student-centered, that focus on the development ofContinue reading “Slice of Life: Testing, Testing”

Poetry Month Day 11: Emptying the Pockets

From April 21, 2016. I thought about writing a poem that described how I was feeling. Realized I had already written one: She told meThat someone told herTo set asideTimeEach day for aReckoning,A counting of thingsOne carries. After checking my pockets,My shoulders,My soul, I have thisListOf what I brought to school today:My tea thermosA schoolContinue reading “Poetry Month Day 11: Emptying the Pockets”

Poetry Month Day 10: On Streaks

Since when did streakingbecome something poets dideach day in April? All I really knowis I’m not as ambitiousas WordPress would think And while statisticscan offer encouragementthey’re sometimes heavy: an extra bag tosling over a tired shoulder,drag to the next day or so, until Idecide enough is enoughand just let it go. Post-script: What can IContinue reading “Poetry Month Day 10: On Streaks”