April is National Poetry Month and my plan of sharing poems of significance to me fell to the wayside as life happened (or didn’t happen).
Emily Dickinson’s “Hope is a Thing of Feathers” was the first post, and now I am ending the month with Mary Ruefle’s “The Hand” as a tribute to students, teachers, the general education community. I miss being in the classroom.
The Hand
The teacher asks a question.
You know the answer, you suspect
you are the only one in the classroom
who knows the answer, because the person
in question is yourself, and on that
you are the greatest living authority,
but you don’t raise your hand.
You raise the top of your desk
and take out an apple.
You look out the window.
You don’t raise your hand and there is
some essential beauty in your fingers,
which aren’t even drumming, but lie
flat and peaceful.
The teacher repeats the question.
Outside the window, on an overhanging branch,
a robin is ruffling its feathers
and spring is in the air.
This poem is a poster that I place prominently in my classroom, to remind me, and to remind my students, that we all have something to share, yet if we don’t make that effort to speak out no one will know what we had to offer.
This poem has even greater meaning for me since I am now separated from my students and I am unable to hear their voices and we are unable to share our ideas with one another. Distance teaching provides learning, yet it’s in a vacuum since I am unable to interact with my students. They might be gaining knowledge through the lessons I send out to them; however, how are they receiving that knowledge, what it means to them is somewhat lost. Electronic response is not the same as seeing that hand raise and hearing their voice.
Yes, I miss being in the classroom. I miss my students.
March began in the usual way: school, home, the routine of routine. Then murmurings of a really bad flu flutter into the periphery around the middle of March (ironically teaching “Beware the Ides” with Julius Caesar walking to the forum). Routines are jarred as parents pull students from school and we watch and wonder if our school will also shut down with one week to go before spring week. We did and in two weeks all has changed and routine is a daily challenge.
Where does reading fit into this new normal? Reading used to be my anticipated reward, my stress reliever, my defrag from working with screens. Now, with only a scant handful of books (paper, not electronic, preferred) to last, who knows how long, reading becomes a quandary. Reading helps wile away the hours and keeps my brain from fogging over from too much screen time. Yet, I will clearly run out books on hand sooner than anticipated. Why didn’t I grab more books from the library before it closed?
Highlights of March:
The Rope Walk by Carrie Brown ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ A bit like To Kill a Mockingbird with a tomboy, an odd playmate, a mysterious neighbor and a life lesson.
Moonfleet by John Meade Falkner ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ An old fashioned adventure in the style of Robert Lois Stevenson
In the Jellicoe Road by Marlena Marchetta ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ A YA that combines the ruthlessness found in Lord of the Flies with the mind-warping plot twists of I Am the Cheese.
Letters from Yellowstone by Diane Smith ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ One of those mad grabs off the shelf before the library closed and an unexpected joy as the book reveals the early days of Yellowstone Park through the witty and informative epistolary exchanges of a hodge podge of characters pursuing science.
Dandelion Summer by Lisa Wingate ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Imagine Henry Fonda from his role in On Golden Pond and a teenage Queen Latifah, you then would have Norman Alvord and Epiphany Jones, better known as J. Norm and Epie. These two form a symbiotic friendship as they battle their dysfunctional families.
The Least of My Brothers by Harold Bell Wright ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ A classic re-edited by Michael Phillips. Turn of the century story of the difference between being a disciple of Christ and a member of the church, with plenty of drama and characterization and a minimum of preaching making for a thoughtful consideration of what defines a Christian.
Ender’s Shadow by Scott Orson Card ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ Having read Ender’s Game several years ago I thought it time to read its counterpart. Read it in a couple of days since I was able to dedicate that much time to reading a 400+ page book being on spring break.
A mixture of titles and interests as usual. As my library stash dwindles I will begin getting creative (or desperate) and begin prowling my meager collection which consists of read and reread classics or dipping into my hubs’ technical journals and how to manuals.
Honestly, you don’t look a day over 415, Bill! 1564-1616 April 23
Yup, it’s birthday time for William. He had a much bigger party six years ago when he hit the big 450. All over the world people celebrated the genius of the man from Stratford-Upon-Avon.
How does a person offer birthday congrats to someone who has given so much to the world in terms of literature and themed studies of human nature? Royalties, maybe. Wouldn’t that be a welcome stimulus check in the mailbox? Films, books, plays, mugs, t-shirts, buttons, toys, business names, and so much more are derived from Shakespeare. From what I have researched about his personality, I’m sure he would be amused at the adulation. He would probably discount it towards misshapen apparitions of misguided judgement.
I must offer some sort of tribute to Bill on his birthday. Hmm, how about something acknowledging my appreciation for one of his most amazing works: Hamlet. Yes, Hamlet once again. The Muppets had their say last month, now it is time for Veggie Tales to lend their muse to this timeless play of the troubled Prince of Danes or is that Danish?
Maybe you have your own ideas for a birthday tribute. I would surely appreciate hearing how you appreciate Shakespeare. Stop in the comments and have a piece of cake.
No fooling, April is a great month for word possibilities, with obvious choices being spring and Easter.
One way I cope with “screen scream,” the way my brain is bursting after intently dealing with webinars, on-line schooling needs, e-mail catch up, and so forth, is to either read a book or plug into a PBS Nature episode.
Rabbits can swim!
When I saw the new Nature episode title: Remarkable Rabbits, I couldn’t resist. It was all about rabbits and hares. There is a difference, and it even went into the expression “crazy as a March hare” or at least provided a plausible explanation. As complete as the show appeared to be, it did not explain why we say “bunny” when referring to rabbits.
Aha, my sources at Dictionary.com explain it quite well: bunny epiphany.
There is even enlightenment about “coney” and why the only coney in use is associated with Coney Island.
Doubt rabbits or bunnies are to be found hare.
I hope you will hop around to the links provided and discover that rabbits are truly remarkable.
My debut picture book, Someday We Will, was released April 7th and since holding an actual book launch party proved a bit difficult, I held a virtual party with cupcakes, decorations, bubbles, and a door prize. I even gave a reading.
Someday We Will, is all about that anticipation of being with people we love, like grandparents getting together with their grandchildren. And that’s what prompted me to write the book. When my granddaughter was oh so little, I thought about all those marvelous activities we would share together someday. The book has become quite timely in its arrival. We all are separated from loved ones and there are many activities we long to do someday…
I asked those who came to my party–sorry if you came late, but maybe I can still find you some bubbles since the cupcakes are all gone–to share a someday hope. I received so many hopefuls, I need to share some of them with you:
Mireya wants to walk with Roxy and teach her art to others.
Michele hopes to read with her grandsons, she has a “Nonna’s Book Club.”
Annette (from my awesome local library) can’t wait until I can read my book to a room full of children (neither can I!)
Mitch stepped right up and shared a bounty of someday hopefuls from flying to favorite places, seeing new places, and visiting his daughter.
Jenny shared how Zoe is excited to discover I’m her great aunt.
Bev is looking forward to teaching art to her granddaughters and helping them to write.
Becky wants to build with Legos with her grandson once again.
Elizabeth is set to hug her grandkids again, read to them and blow bubbles with them.
As does Mary, who wants to also blow bubbles with her granddaughter.
There were a few fashionably late arrivals who passed on great someday hopes such as sharing pizza with a mom, hugging neighbors and friends, and even someday attending my next book launch in person.
And then there was Chelsea who chronicles her life with a houseful of boys, runs a really good bad poetry contest, and manages to inject humor into her insights. Here is her someday hope summary–visit last post’s comments for its entirety (you’ll smile and cry at the same time):
“Someday I will see my mother. I’ll pile my lively, loud, loving brood into our minivan–not for a ‘drive’ with no destination or a ‘trip’ to the grocery store pickup–but to grandmother’s house we’ll go. [okay, I’m a grandma and I miss my grandkiddo so I’m tearing up–then she clobbers it out of the park after building up how they will drive up to her mother’s house]My mother will open the door, ask,”Oh! Who rang my doorbell? and feign surprise as her grandchildren jump out. Everyone will hug everyone and things will be as if they never were ever different.”
That’s going to be our new happily ever after ending for stories from now on: “Everyone will hug everyone and things will be as if they never were ever different.”
Okay–all your somedays hopes were amazing and I know they will indeed someday be here, yet Chelsea captured the book’s theme of missing special people in our life, and looking forward to fun times, and the feeling of how we are anticipating getting that hug from that someone we love. This is why she won the door prize of an autographed copy of Someday We Will.
So–Chelsea…email me at cricketmusings@gmail.com and we will figure out how to get that book to you.
For those arriving fashionably late, it’s never too late to add to the someday hope list. Leave your someday hope in the comments below, and believe it, someday we will be together again.
Yes! Today is the day Someday We Will is released. I am so pleased to share that news with you, readers. Since a book launch party is on hold…for now…
You can celebrate my book’s release my attending my virtual book launch party.
Here are the cupcakes (no worries–there’s more on the back table):
What’s a party without the decorations?
I planned on handing out party favors, which would be bubbles, because that is one of my favorite activities to share with my granddaughter. It’s one of our traditions.
And of course, I would read from my book. I hope this video is the next best thing to being there:
What activities are you looking forward to doing someday with someone you are able to be with right now? Because we have hope that we will someday be together again, hold on to the promise of the somedays to come.
A book launch would have a door prize–an autographed copy of my book, for sure. Since we aren’t together for my book launch I will hold a virtual door prize by having you send me a couple of lines of the someday activity you are looking forward to sharing with that special someone you are separated from at the moment. This is a kid friendly blog, so keep your activities G-rated, please and thank you. I will close submission on April 14th–one week from now. Send in your someday moments before then and I will select from the entries and send out an autographed copy of Someday We Will to you.
April is National Poetry Month and is a time when I spotlight poetry as I teach. This year adjustments have to be made, but that doesn’t stop me from sharing a few of my favorite poems. The first one on my list is from Emily Dickinson.
“Hope” is the thing with feathers – That perches in the soul – And sings the tune without the words – And never stops – at all –
And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard – And sore must be the storm – That could abash the little Bird That kept so many warm –
I’ve heard it in the chillest land – And on the strangest Sea – Yet – never – in Extremity, It asked a crumb – of me.
Hope is just that: small, yet resilient, able to stay strong even in a tempest.
We are definitely in a tempest these days, and I pray that little voice of hope remains strong and provides the sweetness and surety that it will be heard.
Pam Webb 