My mother worked as a teacher for twenty-five years. Looking back at old class photos, I can see how much she loved what she did. She put a lot of energy into her work and into her students. I loved listening to her talk about them and the projects she did with them. She had wanted to be a dress designer in New York City. She was a good artist and always encouraged my sister and me to paint and draw. In fact, she painted one wall in our basement pure white and let us paint and design whatever we desired. Once it was up for a while, she’d paint it white again, and we would start anew. Years later, I realized how much she influenced me: I love to draw, write, and read. I love sharing everything I know with small children. I taught many children to sew, just like my mom taught me.
Category: Poetry
Mindful in the Mountains
The first six weeks of school have been filled with busy and hurry. I found myself moving so fast without really thinking. I knew I needed to carve a bit of time out for myself, so my husband and I took a long weekend to head to the mountains. Every October we head north to New Hampshire to take in the splendor of autumn leaves turning into their full golden glory. I cherish this time away and feel myself relax immediately as the mountains rise on either side of the road, enveloping me in their sloping arms.
September Nourishment
I’m still adjusting to getting up early, cooler mornings, and the rapid pace of the school day. There is no time to slow down. I run until I’m exhausted, but there must be a better way. My younger colleagues look to me for sage advice. How do I put work/life balance into practice? My answer: very haphazardly. I sporadically start my days with meditation, yoga, and a mid-morning cup of tea alone in my cozy office. But in reality, an endless, growing to-do list keeps me frantically trying to check things off, feeling more and more like Sisyphus. One day that giant boulder is sure to crush me, and I cannot let that happen!
Creating Calm: Mindful 8 Poems Inspired by Maine
Since I know August is the calm before the Back-to-School storm, I thought I’d select some of my favorite Maine photographs and write Mindful 8 poems to accompany them. As I wrote them, I was struck by how peaceful I became. I concentrated on nature and tried to distill the essence of its beauty with spare words. This is becoming an important practice for me, and it also helps to alleviate writer’s block.
Empowering Girls Through Poetry
This week, the girls and I return to poetry for a respite. We are still revising our fantasy stories, but needed a little spark of energy. Since the school where I teach is a school for girls, in fact it is the oldest girls’ school in New Jersey, I am keenly aware of the need for raising confident and resilient girls.
Sparking Vivid Language and Poetry with Visual Prompts
Because students often struggle to create vivid imagery out of thin air, they frequently fall back on clichés or stare blankly at a white page. However, using a concrete visual prompt, such as a photograph of a girl splashing under a backyard sprinkler, can instantly unlock their imagination. This image helps student to tap into their own memories, stretch their vocabulary, and express themselves through poetry.
Revolutionary Spirit: Poet, Phillis Wheatley
This week, as we look forward to the 250th birthday of America, I want to reflect on an unlikely Revolutionary heroine, Phillis Wheatley. Her history is remarkable. Born in West Africa in 1753, she was brought on a slave ship, The Phillis, for which she was named. She was sold to the Wheatley family of Boston, who raised and educated her. Phillis learned English, Latin, and Greek and wrote her first poem at the age of fourteen. She published a collection of poetry called Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral in 1773, making her the first enslaved person to publish a book.
Inner Peace at the Garden Shop
While trying to recover and relax, I took a short journey to a local garden shop. I love this place; it always brings me solace. I forgot to take my camera with me, so I took pictures with my little flip phone. I just snapped images that appealed to me. I love that they arrange pots and flowers by color. It was such a good way to unwind without worrying about my tummy troubles. There are rows and rows of flowering plants outside, and rows and rows of garden pots inside.
Poetry: A Journey Through Grief and Joy
When he asks me what I’ve been up to, I rattle something about putting my attention to poetry this summer. And Henry says, “I don’t know who said it, but someone said, poetry is like someone running at you with a knife in a dark hallway.” That stopped me in my tracks. He was right. Good poetry stuns, surprises with sharp clarity. It is an idea I will take with me this summer, as I turn my attention from teaching to writing.
The Road to Summer
My mind has been on high alert, making yet another “to-do” list. However, a springtime cold slowed me down this week and forced me to sit, sleep, and wonder. June snuck up on me; all of a sudden it arrived. With only two more weeks of school ahead of me, I’m looking forward to getting outside into the air, the green, the blue of nature. I am thirsting for time on my own to roam the woods and shorelines from Maine to Miami. Most of my colleagues and our student body are also weary of indoor school days and are anticipating the freedom that June brings: our own pace, our own activities, our own adventures. This sense of freedom is part of the school cycle that I have been part of since I was four years old.
