Day 5, January’s Open Write for Educators with Susie Morice & Stacey L. Joy
Stacey L. Joy is a National Board Certified Teacher, Google Certified Educator, L.A. County and LAUSD Teacher of the Year with 35 years of elementary classroom teaching experience. She currently teaches 5th grade at Baldwin Hills Pilot & Gifted Magnet School. Stacey has served as a partner and guiding teacher for graduate students in the U.C.L.A. Teacher Education Program. Teaching her Joyteam students the power of knowledge, self-advocacy and justice are the core of her practice. Stacey is a poet at heart with one self-published book and several poems published in Savant Poetry Anthologies. Stacey is mom to her grown son, daughter and a Himalayan cat. Follow Stacey on Twitter @joyteamstars.
Susie Morice spent 30 years in the public school classrooms in the St. Louis, Missouri area. Long a Gateway Writing Project and Missouri Writing Project veteran, Susie loves what the National Writing Project has done for ELA teachers. Since retiring, Susie worked with professional development in writing, taught education classes at University of Missouri-St. Louis, Fontbonne University, and St. Louis University. She currently is a writer and editor for the Santa Fe Center for Transformational School Leadership, which partners with Washington University and publishes her writings and others writings on transformation in our schools. Between all that serious monkey-business, Susie plays guitar, sings, writes music and poetry, and reads (of course!) … certainly where her heart is these days.
Inspiration
Every year, especially in January, we have a call to pronounce our affection for the words of a man that both Stacey and Susie have found inspirational throughout their lives. Losing Dr. Martin Luther King was a tragedy, but he left a legacy of words that give us pause and hope. Words that ask us to dig deeper, lift higher, and flex our capacity to change the world for the better. The Civil Rights movement in this country has had powerful benchmarks, but it is a long way from a won battle. There is still the dream of a country whose varied and complex people respect and love each other, every living being.
We believe that keeping Dr. King’s words on our lips and in our poems is a step toward that dream. So today, we are going to borrow Dr. King’s words to give us inspiration for our poems.
Here are just a few of our favorite MLK quotes:
- “We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”
- “Only in darkness can you see the stars.”
- “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
- “Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals.”
- “True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.”
- “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
- “The only normalcy that we will settle for is the normalcy of brotherhood, the normalcy of true peace, the normalcy of justice.”
You can find scads of additional quotes on the web, so peruse some of those and let the reminder of these words inspire you.
Process
We’d like you to select any MLK quote that resonates with your own dreams for our country on this our inauguration day. Then, in the vein of Dr. King, ask us to lift or dig or flex …ask us to help heal our nation in some small way that matters. A hundred small actions that lift can levitate a very heavy weight. Your voices today truly matter to all of us. We want you to use any poetic form that suits you, perhaps an ode, perhaps a version of the Zappai that Stacey introduced to us this week. Because Dr. King’s words were always carried with a sense of lyrical rhythm, you might try repetitions…he had that marvelous cadence in his spoken words. When you post your poem, please begin with the quote that inspired you, and then copy your poem.
Susie’s Poem, “Be Not Silent“
[“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” MLK]
Martin, can you hear me?
You understood the deadly shards
of silence,
when cold eyes
like shattered windows,
bore witness to wounds dripping red,
and the powder of the shot
still hung in the air
while a nation fell mute, impotent.
Martin, can you hear me?
You knew that mere wringing hands
were complicit
when words could lift minds and hearts
to let your dream
take flight
with wings that sing
against the winds,
and we still hear the music in your words.
Martin, can you hear me?
by Susie Morice©
Stacey’s Poem, “Dear America”
[“The only normalcy that we will settle for is the normalcy of brotherhood, the normalcy of true peace, the normalcy of justice.” Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.]
Dear America,
Martin wants to remind you
Brotherhood is free
Peace doesn’t cost much
Set white privilege aside
Give choice to black lives
Dismantle systems
That empower injustice
Rebuild our nation
From the inside out
Start with self-work and dig deep
Unveil biases
Reframe your thinking
Centering unheard voices
Whose power we need
Make justice and joy
Nuclei of normalcy
For all humankind
Dear America,
Martin wants to remind you
Greatness comes with love
by Stacey L. Joy©
Your Turn to Write & Respond
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers. See the image for commenting with care. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming.
If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, share this invitation form.
This poem focuses on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Shattered dreams are the hallmark of our mortal life.” – STRENGTH TO LOVE (88). It also focuses on his life story. It follows the form of “Harlem” aka “A Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes.
What happens to a dream shattered?
Does it write out
Like protesters arrested?
Or ache like those beaten–
With night sticks?
Does it smell like mace or gas?
Or march and walk arm-in-arm–
At Edmund Pettus Bridge?
Maybe it speeds by
Like bullets from guns.
Or does it explode?
The hour is late and there is much work to do in this my new day, but I couldn’t let this prompt and day go unacknowledged, even for a short poem. My quote of MLK’s, from a sermon titled “Loving Your Enemies,” is quoted in the fifth and sixth zappai. Justice and love are soul mates.
Inauguration–
A day to initiate
A new tomorrow
We had a good bath
Thanks for the scrub, Amanda
Now get back to work
America needs
to stay in the tub for more
justice rolling down
At 92, if
Dr. King would have been here
He would remind us
“The strong person is
the person who can cut off
the chain of hate,
the chain of evil”
Be strong, America, your
lenses are clearer
Don’t let them fog up
Keep resisting evil and
Love your enemies
Denise,
I love the levity in
We sure needed that bath, and Amanda Gorman’s poem cleansed my heart. I do think we can move beyond hat w/ the right leadership. I hope enough from the other side are tired of hate after 12 years of it. ‘Preciate you, my friend.
Denise — I’m glad you could still crank out these fine thoughts. I appreciate your poem tonight. I too am really pooped. “Cutting off the chains of hate” is indeed a mantra for all of us. Several folks wrote about love and hate today, and I am moved by how many want to exercise that love. Yea! Take care, and I’ll “see” you on these pages next month! Susie
Denise, this is wonderful!! I love the idea of the country getting a good scrubbing yesterday. But I really love the wisdom of needing to stay for a good, long soak. The brevity in this makes it work all the more.
Denise, I love the “let’s continue the work” sentiment you’ve created here! We need to keep at it: our “lenses are clearer / Don’t let them fog up / Keep resisting evil.” We had a good “scrub[bing]” (which was a great stanza, btw) but there’s more work to be done. Thank you for writing this!
Good morning (late responding due to yesterday’s events)! I am so excited about your Zappai and how well your poem flows in that form. And…your brilliant inclusion of the quote within the poem! Wow! You really nailed it. Love the image of America’s “lenses are clearer/Don’t let them fog up” ?Thank you Denise!
Yes, Denise,
Yesterday did feel cleansing, a good scrub, this washing away of so much filth – but we have so much still to do, so much for with to keep our eyes open, so much love to give.
The Urgent Question
Shakespeare:
To be or not to be?
Camus:
Suicide?
King:
What are you doing for others?
Me:
What King said.
Very cheeky, Allison. Spot on!
Allison, this poem cracks me up. I love the allusions! Yes,it is all about what we are doing for others!
Allison — I think we’re on the same page. Hugs, Susie
Allison, LOL. Yep! Totally agree!
Ha!!!!! You better say it!!!!! (That’s what we say in the Black community when someone speaks on something that everyone needs to hear!)
I am so happy you wrote this and that I didn’t miss it!
Thank you, friend! ????????
Hello everyone! I’m just getting a reprieve from work and basking in the celebration of America on TV. If I run out of steam, I promise to return to comment on poems I’ve missed. You all have warmed my heart in an inexpressible way. Thank you for taking time from your work, rest, walks, families, and duties to write with me and Susie!
?
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.” (Martin Luther King)
SILENT
No More
The people have spoken
Loud and clear
January 20, 2021
Democracy unfolded
Blinders lifted
The inauguration of a president
Loosed chains enslaving a giant of a nation
Hope reaffirmed
Gave birth to freedom
And stands ready to defend
The constitution
BUT
Will they soon forget
The price paid for this moment
A sigh of relief
Nudge and nudge
As your rest is quietly interrupted
Some say that your turned in your grave again today
Melissa, your poem is so provocative! I was especially moved by
Thinking of Martin Luther King rolling over in his grave today is an unsettling thought/image.
Melissa — You ask the important question here. Let’s hope we never forget and do more than sit quietly, silent. Thank you for pushing. Susie
Melissa, you are so right! We may have “Loosed chains enslaving a giant of a nation” (or, in the least, started the process of this), “BUT” it won’t work (or be sustainable) if we don’t remember “The price paid for this moment.” Thank you for writing and sharing this!
I felt myself shifting right along with the rhetoric in this piece, starting defiantly, moving to affirmation and joy, then to caution, and the reminder that what has been done cannot be undone. We cannot unring that bell, as the saying goes. The poem reminds readers we CANNOT forget. May the poets continue to witness and remind!
Melissa!!!! Yes, yes, yes!
Let’s hope the momentum never slows. We have moved…and we must keep moving in the right direction.
So thankful I didn’t miss your poem this morning even though I’m late. ?
Feel It
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – MLK Jr.
You can feel it
When it’s in those
Desensitized headlines
Of Middle East weddings
Getting blown to bits
By drones
Or Breonna Taylor
Getting blown to bits
In her own bed
It’s not just across the ocean
It’s not just across the country
It’s not just the plastic
Flooding the shorelines
Of the poor countries
Of the brown countries
The soil
Losing its fertility
Though don’t we care
When the wildfires
Come across
Rich white homes
You can feel it here
In your neighborhood
On your street
In your home
But only if
You let yourself
Alex, you’re chosen and written about a thought we’d rather not face. We’re living in a glass house! It is my prayer that what is seen in the years to come is behavior we’ll be more proud is being seen!
Alex, you share so many problems incredibly well in this poem and they connect perfectly with the quote you’ve chosen. Sure we care when it is in our own home, yard, family, etc., but are we really looking at all that ails? I love the powerful challenge at the end. Are we really looking at all the injustices…are we feeling it? I think you bring up a important issue at the very beginning about desensitized headlines and perhaps our own treatment of injustice and all of the global issues that are unbelievably awful. Awesome poem!
Alex — I hope we never let ourselves be desensitized, yet I watch it happen every day. So, that you ask us to “feel it” is critically important. We need to feel it, let ourselves feel it and act. Thank you for keeping each of these horrors in the proper lane and in plain view so that we might act for the sake of all of us. Susie
The end line of this poem is the test – did the reader feel it as she read? The connection of macrocosm to microcosm in the selection of historical details is a strength here. I wonder how these poems will be read years from now – how many footnotes this might need to remind readers in 2121 of what this nation had been through. Or will some of these images still be as stark then as historical moments are remembered by us today? So many of the events named here remain unknown to too many, for exactly the reasons the poem means to point out – people have shuttered even wanting to know because they do not want to feel it. Some choose not to feel it, for exactly the reasons the poem identifies. Poets play an essential role in witnessing, reminding, retaining, and feeling. It is a burdensome responsibility at times, but necessary. This poem is proof.
Okay, here is yet another poem that I can copy/paste and block-quote the whole darn thing! I love the way this poem flows like a whisper but hits like a force of fire from a volcano! Chillingly real and very much needed to be spoken!
Susie and Stacey – yes! Thank you so much for time, loving attention and thoughtful words you’ve shared with us all. This is my treat of the week, for real. Thanks for considering the timing of this week and picking prompts that invited us to reflect and create. Thanks to this community – you bring hope, too.
“We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”
The Time is Always Ripe
Rather than tearing down what is
Even if what IS is wrong
Some folks chose to build
Rather than delighting in misery.
Here they were, stabbing at a dark curtain
Creating a wide web of hope
that turned Georgia blue
Creating a poem so laser-beam true
that it radiates through the cracks in our hearts
Creating this moment we dare to feel joy.
So what can I do in this ripe moment?
What is the next right step for
me? (for that is all I can really control)
I can scoop out the pumpkin guts of my
thoughtswordsactions
Confront THAT mess –
Love it, bless its lesson, and
release it.
Then
Plant the seeds I find,
Fertilized, energized
To create,
Brave enough to be the light
And do right.
How cleverly you have subtlety whispered a screaming call to action to face what’s inside, use what’s inside to seed for the next harvest. We have within us the love that it needed to both!
Stabbing at a dark curtain
the cracks in our hearts
in this ripe moment
scoop out the pumpkin guts
Your poem is flush with startling, lovely lines. Thank you.
Emily — The rhythm of this is inspiring…it has a sense of momentum that fits the calling. I so love the self-reflection questions. All of us are likely asking similar questions…what can each of us do in our own way? My favorite part is “Plant the seeds” and be “brave enough.” Thank you, Em! Susie
Dang! Pumpkin guts as a symbol of hope! I love this. What a GREAT example of how the poet can fully control the metaphor and create new meaning from something completely unexpected. That word “confront” is powerful, but the all-caps THAT resonates the spoken word style, controlling the reader’s interpretation. Subtle, but better supports the poet’s intentions. “Brave enough to be the light” is a nice infusion of Dr. King’s words into new meaning. Lovely through and through.
Hi Emily, you may not see this comment since I’m soooo late. Internet issues have halted all that was normal about these last few days. Anyway, I’m so glad I had the opportunity to feel and embrace your words. This is such an important lesson we all need to learn. I’ll savor these two portions as daily reminders:
Thank you!!!
Thank you, Stacey and Susie, for these amazing five days. Today, I offered this prompt to my students after watching the inauguration.
Some took Dr. King’s words and others had their own ideas. I wrote alongside them starting with the quote: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” I offer a found poem based on my student’s words,
America,
a ball of clay
moldable
but
we
need to be careful
or
it won’t work out
Basically,
I want
America to be a ball of clay.
Moldable
but delicate
and hopeful
We
can work
with our tools
and
turn this clay
into a vase to carry
America’s flowers
I love this comparison to a ball of clay! Yes, we can mould and shape our county for peace! Being an artist and having taught ceramics, I know how precarious this can be.
Julianna,
I love that you wrote a found poem from your students’ writing.
I like the balance of hope and pragmatism:
Thank you for molding and sharing your students’ words.
Julieanne — This is a cool idea…a found poem from your students’ creativity…Wonderful! That final line…quite touching! Hugs, Susie
I love the idea of taking student words – the future of this country – under the mentor poet’s wings to create a unified, new, and hopeful message. Will you share this with your students? I have done that in the past where I have read a students prose (a discussion board post) and found it so poetic, I used the cross-out method to create a poem from it. I kept tell that student her prose read more like poetry, and she said she’d never written poetry. Showing her that result was so exciting to her, she began to practice it herself! There is beautiful crossover in the various forms of art, and this is proof!
Hi Julieanne, I have had no internet for 1.5 days so my delay to respond was unplanned. I love the ease of which this brings America to a fixable position, if only we could be that ball of clay! Brilliant. My favorite lines…
Yes!!! Thank you!
OF
one word
two letters
hard to even define
yet it creates
key relationships,
comparisons
metaphors
a layering of meaning.
MLK’s rhetoric was masterful
beacon light OF hope
flames OF withering injustice
long night OF captivity
manacles OF segregation
chains OF discrimination
lonely island OF poverty
vast ocean OF material prosperity
vaults OF opportunity
riches OF freedom
security OF justice
desolate valley OF segregation
sunlit path OF justice
quicksands OF racial injustice
solid rock OF brotherhood
sweltering summer OF the Negro’s legitimate discontent
invigorating autumn OF freedom and equality
whirlwinds OF revolt
palace OF justice
cup OF bitterness and hatred
high plane OF dignity and discipline
storms OF persecution
winds OF police brutality
valley OF despair
table OF brotherhood
heat OF injustice
heat OF oppression
oasis OF freedom and justice
mountain OF despair
stone OF hope
jangling discords OF our nation
beautiful symphony OF brotherhood
Of
Merriam defines it as“expressing the relationship between a part and a whole”
and “belonging to, relating to, or connected with (someone or something)”
Connected.
We are connected.
We need to be with more
than just such a small word.
~Susan Ahlbrand
20 January 2021
Susan,
I love poems that draw attention to grammar and have had an obsession w/ prepositions since I began teaching and taught primarily second language learners who struggled w/ the nuances of prepositions. I love the way “of” forces us to pause and consider the preposition in relation to its object and the prepositional phrase in terms of what it modifies. “Of,” of course, is about relationships, always at the heart of MLK’s words, as the definition reminds us. Great poem.
This is beautiful. This delicate connecting word makes us accountable. The part to the whole. So much possible with this tiny word. I will hold on to those positive connections.
Thank you
Your insight, Susan, has shed light revealing what must be done to make things right! And you’ve done it visually with the layout of lines and poetically with the order of words. Thank you.
Susan — I so appreciate the analysis in your poem. That list of MLK phrases, each one offering a particular hope or woe or metaphoric reality. I like the inventiveness of your poem. It pulled us to the importance of being connected…no small thing! The “of” seems to tee-up each of those big ideas. Every one of these deserves our attention. Thank you. Susie
Such an interesting way to quote MLK. There are so many beautiful and devastating images included in your poem. We really get a feel for his work, the richness of the images and hope and dignity he longed and worked for versus the awful injustice, segregation, hatred, and bitterness. Thank you for your collection of all these phrases and how you have put them together so beautifully.
Susan, what a creative kind of new form of Found Poem. I love using bits, phrases, lines, but this is fantastic! Aside from the fun of seeing how much he used OF, I’m imagining all the activities that students could do with this. Thank you for doing something so unique and powerful. Then your ending just brings it all to the forefront. It’s all about connection!
Yay!!!!
Stacey and Susie — Thank you for this week of amazing prompts and for your beautiful poetry. This has been a week for sure, but this inauguration has left me feeling hopeful that we can make our world a better place for everyone.
“We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”
Celebration
We celebrated you, Martin, in school today
I felt this celebration much more deeply than before
My students read, I read, we read articles about your “Early Years”
and “Civil Rights Leadership”
we discussed your achievements, watched videos,
listened, really listened to your dream
and we believe
We celebrated, you, Martin in school today
I felt this celebration much more deeply than before
and my students deduced we hadn’t arrived yet
believed we still had a miles to go
until racial equality was truly achieved
“How could it be,” they said,
“that a black man couldn’t breathe,
today, in the 21st century?”
Today? In the 21st century? I ask myself the same question
and my students decry the need
to grant respect and dignity to all humanity
recognized they must seize opportunities to
use their voices, act with compassion, to “do right”,
to stamp out inequality
We celebrated you, Martin, in school today
I felt this celebration much more deeply than before
but now I have faith and hope in my students
faith and hope in these Gen Z’s, that they will be
better than their predecessors,
that they will heed your words and
“use time creatively” to “do right”
Tammi – you speak to the moment here when you say,
“I felt this celebration much more deeply than before
and my students deduced we hadn’t arrived yet
believed we still had a miles to go
until racial equality was truly achieved”
This resonated with me, too. Clearly your students came to that conclusion because of the awesome people they are, and the love and care you show them! You captured your invigorated hope in the future in your last stanza. Cheers!
Tammi,
The repetition is so powerful here — over and over, we celebrate MLK and still:
But what we do see is that our world is stirred on so many levels — we cannot pretend we’ve made progress, and our students — your students– are bearing witness to that. Thank you for stirring their hearts and minds today, creating a supportive space to ask questions.
Peace,
Sarah
I find so much solace and hope in my students. I learn so much from them and through the process of their learning. Your words reflected my feelings perfectly. Thank you.
“I felt this celebration much more deeply than before
but now I have faith and hope in my students”
Tammi — I love your poem…really love it. The repetition of “I felt this celebration much more deeply than before” is, in itself, a darned big deal. That you dug deep into MLK today and that students were moved by the discourse really gives me huge hope for the future. Thank you for doing this kind of important work! Susie
Tammi, I’m late to respond but soooooo grateful to have had this blessing of a poem to read and ponder. Ohhh how I love that you repeated…
We celebrated you, Martin, in school today
I felt this celebration much more deeply than before
It’s almost prayer-like. I feel it in my spirit when I say that aloud. Martin is shining on you, Tammi, and your students, for the work you’re doing. Wow, such a powerful poem.
?
I am grateful to have shared these days with all of you. Thank you!
On the Inauguration of the 46th
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.”
In his book The Power of Habit
Duhigg writes that you cannot
simply take away a bad habit
and leave an empty space
The addict mind has to fill it
with something else
a more positive thought
a more beneficial action
Today a tormentous addiction
has been removed
from my daily life
I watched it fly away
The hollowness I felt
stood bewildered
seeking what next
would be its fill
The musicians played
the singers sang
the speakers spoke
the poet rhapsodized
And that space within me
began to fill and fill and fill
until I suddenly realized
the tension had gone
and in its place
a sense of peace
taking hold
making root
It will need care.
It will need nurturing.
It will mean hard work.
I am ready.
“that space began to fill and fill and fill…” I hope we can fill to overflowing with a true change of our hearts.
Denise, what an incredible poem! I like how you tied in today’s inauguration and shared the impact it had on you. Your end is truly wonderful.
s
It is like a celebration in of itself and a reminder that even though we have hope for a better tomorrow that it will take careful tending and work!
Denise,
WOW! You, my friend, have captured my thoughts. I’ve felt a bit like Daisy in The Great Gatsby when she said, “What will we do now?” I’ve been so caught up in the daily disaster. Now I must fill the void. Your poem has filled part of that void.
These words say it all. It’s like having a cancer excused. Wonderful poem.
Yes! I feel the same way. I am stunned by the quiet…all the ugly just stopped for a moment. (Hopefully, longer than a moment!) “the tension had gone.” “I am ready.”
Denise — I couldn’t agree more. This inauguration brought me hope too. You are right, “It will need care/
It will need nurturing./It will mean hard work.”
“I am ready” too!
Ooh, I love this concept here:
“It will need care.
It will need nurturing.
It will mean hard work.
I am ready.”
Short phrases sound like a pledge to yourself to make this hope grow. I resonated with this, too, and I think you raise a good point in this poem, that we have watched the presidency like “Tiger King” – what will happen next in this horror show? I love the shout-out to the healing power of the arts, too. It’s what fills us up! Thanks for this thought-provoking poem.
Oh, this is so powerful — so much to face, confront, engage. This part — wow:
You got me right away. This hollowness will be filled — can we imagine what it will be, what it must be? Because it cannot resemble what is.
Peace,
Sarah
As I watched today, I cried and I wasn’t quite sure why until I read your poem. Thank you.
Julieanne — I had exactly that same experience. Susie
Denise — This is so wonderful! I love that examination of removing a “tormentous addiction” and then filling that void with all the good images that we witnessed today. The most important part, though, in that last stanza that moves us from witness to action… “It will need care./ It will need nurturing./ It will mean hard work.” Being “ready”… wow, that really is inspiration! Yes! Thank you for that! Hugs Susie
Bravo, Denise! This captures how so many felt yesterday. What a great analogy!
Denise, this is a liberating time! You captivated me here because I woke up this morning feeling so light and free!
I love the reminder to care for and nurture this peace we aren’t used to feeling. ?
Oh, Denise, I love the way you tied MLK’s quote in with more than the release of tension. You are filling it with the good work of justice, which brings true peace. A beautiful quote and a great poem. It is so true that the addiction needs to be filled. We were all addicted to the catastrophe that flew away. Thanks!
Susie and Stacey, thank you for sharing your talents, words, and generous spirits with us these last few days. I’m praying for positive change; to be a change maker.
Civility
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin, this world is
too dark indeed-Fanatics
fanning flames of hate
Spew atrocities
As base as Emmett Till’s death;
Birmingham’s bombings
History is full
of ashes; Let’s remember
our brave heroes who
Fought to change lives; to
create acceptance; a life
worth living; freedom
Ruby Bridges, The
Greensboro Four, Harriet
Tubman, Rosa Parks
The Freedom Riders
and you, dear Martin, who shared
dreams of unity
I pray we look at
all that is wrong; strive
to make it right; heal
Let diversity
be a harmonious tune
full of loving light
Where prayers lift up
ALL so our babies can live
as one together
Barb Edler
January 20, 2021
Barb,
Yes!
“Let diversity
be a harmonious tune
full of loving light
Where prayers lift up
ALL so our babies can live
as one together”
You nailed it!
Your poem reads like a prayer, going from dark to light throughout the stanzas. I appreciate the calling out of the various others who were the “ordinary heroes” who became extraordinary. History is indeed, full of ashes, but your poem brings some hope.
It does read like a prayer. Agree.
Barb,
I love how you have called upon so many beings, voices, memories here to chronicle activism of the past that have planted seeds so many Americas have not sowed, have not nurtured. And the word “babies” — wow, that hits me hard. They need, deserve adults to do better than this. I think we have to turn to our youth.
Sarah
Oh Barb, this is so lovely. Your haiku form gives us nine precious gems. That you pull us through each stanza (a poem itself) to the next to build to the loving conclusion (our babies!) is magical. Thank you.
Barb — Wow! Where to start… “History is full of ashes” — power line! Whoo! I love the list of heroes, reminders of how hard so many have already worked. It seems if each of us does just one darned thing that helps someone else find justice, equity, empathy in a dark moment, then it will have a huge impact for “our babies.” I loved your poem! Thank you. Susie
Good morning, Barb! I am in love with your poem! Such a powerful piece, rich with history and wisdom! My favorite stanza:
Until we LOOK AT ALL THAT IS WRONG, the dying elephant will fester in the room!
Bravo, my friend!
Thank you, dear friends for this last five days of amazing prompts. They were much needed! I felt intimidated by this prompt for some reason. Maybe I was afraid to play with such sagred words, but I tried. I didn’t know how to approach it, so I just decided to integrate all of the words in the quote in a free verse poem.
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
I am taking things moment-by-moment
So anxious for that first step
Even though my stomach is still in knots
My mantra,
Have faith!
Have faith!
Have faith!
Calms me
When I don’t see a way out,
A way up
I feel as if I’m on a treadmill
When what I really want
Is to be on a staircase
Moving forward,
Becoming whole,
With you
And our country
Mo, I like the use of the quote word throughout! Faith – that step into the unknown promise of a better future. Love this!
Mo, wow, your poem is truly amazing. I felt the same way about the writing prompt today. Martin Luther King, Jr’s words do seem sacred! Plus, I feel so overwhelmed by all that has occurred in our history and within this last year. Consequently, I could definitely relate to the emotions you shared, and I loved your positive mantra “Have faith!” I am with you all the way! Praying for unity and a movement of positive change “With you/And our country” Thanks for sharing your poem, Barb
Mo — I love your mantra. Love your lines “when what I really want/ is to be on a staircase/moving forward…”
You perfectly describe 7 am this morning.
Mo!
You always speak such truth and imagery that speaks to me. I love these lines especially:
Gosh, do I want to climb. I want to climb– and to step into imagining something new, that we have dismantled the ignored, broken frames and at least have a few steps toward better.
Sarah
Mo – I love the metaphor of the treadmill versus the staircase, the feeling of not ever even moving forward, much less up. I had similar feelings about the day, and similar feelings about the prompt, but you rocked it!
Hi Mo,
I don’t think you realize how much better it is that you wrote your poem the way your heart led you to write it. I always fear that a prompt or a form will be the cement block that shuts down the writing altogether. Thank you for going with it the way you did.
Here is the most important thing I need to remember and keep close:
I am taking things moment-by-moment
So anxious for that first step
We are all in a state of moments, longing for a state of continuity. I love your poem!!
Well, dang, Mo… you approached this just dandy. This is terrific. I love the whole staircase image. And the repeat of “have faith” really did speak to the edge we were all feeling. Thank you so much. Susie
Thank you for these precious five days of poetry writing! I have truly been lifted and inspired by this space.
Martin told us
it has to get
truly dark
to see the stars
truly dark
our precious ideals
liberty and justice
for all
has never been so
for everyone
truly dark
deep in our history
white and pervasive silence
years of looking the other way
not paying attention
inaudible allies
truly dark
these past four years
relentless
instigation of fear
spewing of hate
primacy of self
truly dark
this year of acute pain
systemic racism
disease and death
economic collapse
sending us deep into
truly dark
January 6, 2021
truly dark
truly dark
truly dark
here I sit
trying to write a poem
while overcome by tears
blessed relief
today’s inaugural words
of healing unity
Martin told us
it has to get
truly dark
to see the stars
This is a starry night
Maureen, the repetition of “Truly dark” is so ominous in your poem. But that ending, so understated and hopeful is just perfect!
Dear Maureen, I love your poem!
“This is a starry night”
This line says it all. Thank you!
Shine on!
Maureen,
It’s amazing how these MLK words inspire in unique ways. Today we saw the stars—metaphorical and literal. I ? this poem and its emphasis on present hope through reflection on the dark. These words describe how I felt all day:
Thank you for this cathartic, light-filled verse.
Maureen,
These four years have been “truly dark” and your poem really captures that darkness that we have all felt for too long. Hallelujah for the “starry night”!
Oh my goodness, Maureen, your poem is pouring truth into our hearts and minds. We have to recognize the darkness had to be “truly dark” in order for us to begin to see the stars and light. I’m so grateful for your poem. Beautiful.
?
Maureen – The momentum of your poem actually moved me to tears… and I thought I was all wrung out by now after such an emotional day. Your chronicle of all the mythology about this country:
… that list and then the mess of these past four years…well, heck the list is long and deep… is truly a dark core of what this nation has fostered. So, the work ahead is huge…and that you brought us to the “starry night” was just beautiful. We are on the cusp of changing for the better… at long last. I am so hopeful. But it is more than hope, it is active work toward that goal. And I can’t help but believe that teachers will make all the difference in pushing for deeper understandings, more honest questions about what matters, discourse that examines multiple sides of debates, that honors the grey area and sifts for workable, empathic solutions. Teachers are the key. I truly believe this. Thank you. Susie
Oh, that beautiful ending. “This is a starry night.” So dark, but we can see the stars. Thank you.
Susie and Stacey, thank you! As usual, I am touched by your poems and will bring them into my classroom to share with students. Looking at Martin Luther King’s quotes today, I thought how rich of a person he was; how much more than a person with one set of ideology! He truly deserves a place among the greatest of the American nation.
My favorite quote:
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. (August 16, 1967. Where do we go from here? Annual Report Delivered at the 11th Convention of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Dear Americans,
Martin advises us
To choose love
Because hate destroys everything
On its way, including people and their future.
Hate is a great weight
That presses us down.
Hate does not solve problems;
It creates them.
It poisons human hearts
Turning them into evil parts
Full of anger and revenge
Driving them to the edge
Of destruction.
Love is the way out
Of a wicked circle.
It brings people together
Despite differences they carry,
And beliefs they share.
Love is vital connection,
Care, support, understanding,
Loyalty, and compassion.
Love is creating safe spaces
For people in all the places.
Dear Americans,
Martin reminds us:
It’s easier to choose love;
Hate can be deadly mistake.
Let’s follow his suggestion
In the name of human progression.
Yes, love is what heals us! Your poem is a beautiful reminder of how we need to love. I particularly like these lines:
Leilya, I love how you show the reason why its important not to hate and compare it to the power of love. I also love the quote you chose. I think your line “Hate can be deadly mistake” says it all!
Leilya,
Thank you for this reminder. This stanza really hit home for me.
“It’s easier to choose love;
Hate can be deadly mistake.
Let’s follow his suggestion
In the name of human progression.”
If we all chose love, our world could heal!
Leilya,
You have affirmed a message I read yesterday about how important it is for us to love those who are the hardest to love.
I’m going to continue to work on this, it’s a work in progress for me. I appreciate your loving reminders!
Leilya – Love indeed! It seems so simple! Let’s follow your poem! As I was reading your poem aloud, I enjoyed the repetitions of like sounds…that rhythmic, lyrical tempo felt like love. It was a fine vehicle for the message Well done! Thank you! Susie
Susie and Stacey, thank you so much for these prompts this go round! I’ve enjoyed (and have been duly challenged) by them!
[“Only in darkness can you see the stars.”]
Much
has been
made
of late
how words
can be used
to hurt
to incite
to torment:
It takes
no time at all
to doomscroll
through any random
YouTube video
to discover
the digital vitriol
dripping from
the comments,
to bear witness
to this rotten truth,
that, yes, Facebook
can promote genocide,
that Twitter’s
misinformation
is a knell ringing in
the rising death toll,
and we have been taught
that actions speak louder
than words
and although
sticks and stones
will surely
break my bones,
words
can,
too.
(And
I know
what you’re thinking:
don’t call me Shirley.
(That joke
really only works
verbally, doesn’t it?)
You see, I use humor
to deflect
sometimes,
to see my way
through the darkness.)
But listening to
Amanda Gorman’s
historic poem
this inauguration,
I am reminded,
tears
in my eyes
and this swelling
in my chest,
this expansion,
a growing lightness,
that words
can be wielded
not only as weapons
but also
as instruments of repair.
They can provide
hope and guidance,
protection and
promise.
(Poetry,
it seems,
is like
that tiny hex wrench
from IKEA;
it,
at first,
appears
so inconsequential,
but,
in the end,
it means
so much.)
Scott,
Bravo! ? I too found Amanda Gorman’s words, as well as those of every speaker today, moving and cathartic. I hope people realize a renewed knowledge of the power of precise language. Humor has gotten me through the dark days, even though it’s not often in my poetry. I love these lines:
‘Preciate your humor and attention to words.
Scott,
I love how the shape of your poem invites us to scroll through your thoughts and feelings. I admire your tone which balances
with your jokes and the lightness of
Love this stanza:
Thank you for sharing and inspiring.
I also love that Amanda Gorman, who is only 22, barely older than many of our students, was selected to speak such wisdom to our Nation.
Oh, yes! Amanda Gorman’s poem was extraordinary! Truly, showing how words are best used “as instruments of repair.” Powerful ceremony, today’s Inauguration. Thank you for this poem!
Scott, your words carry such truth in such a clever way. I listened to Amanda Gorman today, too, and felt this incredible sense of wonder and joy. Words do matter, and I loved how you compared this to a tool I have no idea about, but could understand its impact. I was particularly struck by how you cataloged the way words harm:
I sure hope we begin to see a reversal, and that we can begin to witness more words that heal wounds like inflict them. Peace to you, Scott, and thanks for sharing your powerful poem!
BOOM!!!! ???
This is POWER and then some! I didn’t expect it to go where it went, and I’m so thankful you took me there!
This resonates with me because the harm done by words is more painful to me than any stick or stone. Thank you for this poem and your voice!
Damn straight, Scott! I may start to carry a hex wrench with me, just as a reminder that words are remarkably powerful when framed in a poem the way our sweet, young Gorman did today. She brought me to sobs.
I so appreciate the honesty of your poem today … the reality of the ugly on FB comments, for example… that just is a hammer to the temple for me … I appreciate that you call out that ugliness. And I’m relieved that you move forward from that woe to embrace the positive power of words, especially ones like Amanda G’s beautifully delivered poem. And your poems, Scott. Thank you. Susie
Scott, this is so brilliant and insight! I love love love how you highlight how healing words can be because Lord knows we sure get to see how wounding they can be. How on earth you thought of comparing to the little hex wrench is beyond me, but it’s perfect!
Scott, I love the comparison of poetry with the little hex key that often gets lost if you aren’t paying attention. There are so many wonderful words and ways to describe words in your poem–words of destruction and repair. Thank you for this.
“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right.”
“We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.”
A Call For Action
The time is now to act with courage.
Steps, no matter what size.
It may not be safe. Hold back the fear.
We know in our hearts it is right.
Steps, no matter what size
moving us forward for justice.
We know in our hearts it is right.
Rise up while acting for peace!
Moving us forward for justice.
Not tomorrow, but now!
Rise up while acting for peace!
Unity in action, working together.
Not tomorrow, but now!
We’ve been silent too long.
Unity in action, working together
with bravery. Speak up against wrong.
We’ve been silent too long.
It may not be safe. Hold back the fear.
With bravery speak up against wrong.
The time is now to act with courage.
Susan – Your call to action in this poem is moving…the urgency to “NOW” …those repeated lines to “act now” echoes Dr. King’s own cadence. So effective. I feel your push, feel the need to “speak up” even when it is truly scary. Inspirational. Thank you. Susie
Susan, I love your use of repetition. Your poem has a sense of urgency with the use of NOW. Rise up, Courage, Hold back the fear…all such powerful action words and you are right— the time is NOW!
Susan,
The repetition of “We’ve been silent too long” resonates deeply with me. I feel the all the ways we are silent — in voice, in action, in being, in reading, in writing, in loving, in disrupting, in…I could go on. And indeed, courage is the call here, right! So powerful!
Sarah
Susan,
I totally agree. Teachers must speak up for justice, for equity, for all who cannot speak for themselves. Silence is complicity.
Thank you, Susan! Your poem is incredible, and I love the way you call for action:
“Unity in action, working together
with bravery. ”
We shall overcome!
I feel a “forward motion” as I read this poem! Yes, we must have courage and we must move now. “We know in our hearts it is right.”
Thank you, Susan! Here is our prescription for change and progress!
I want to thank you Stacey and Susie for your wonderful prompts. Today’s reflection on the quotes of Martin Luther King, Jr. are very appropriate for Inauguration Day. Appreciate turning toward his teachings as a way to celebrate a very important day for democracy. Thank you!
Stacey and Susie – thank you both for sharing your hearts and your artistry. Susie, in your poem the healing power and vital importance of words shines through; they are the wings of the dream, the beginning of the flight, of action. Stacey: Your focus on brotherhood is exactly what I am thinking about today – the linking of justice for all to joy for all, and how it all stems from love. How simply and perfectly you capture it, rhythmically, like the beating of a heart.
It’s almost overwhelming to select one quote of Dr. King’s that most speaks to my hopes, dreams, and prayers for our country. His words on agape love and willingness to forgive and restoring community strike deep chords for me.
I finally chose the following with the intent of writing a “golden shovel.” I did not foresee the echo occurring… once it did, I just went with it. So, a sort of double golden shovel.
Thank you all – for poetry heals.
——
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish as fools.
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
We are not just you and me. We are We.
We are US. ‘Love one another’ is not a suggestion. We must.
Must we always repeat the same mistakes, failing to see, to hear, to learn?
Learn to rise above vitriol, shake off stupor, come to.
To start afresh, building up, so all can live
Live well and peaceably together.
Together, for it cannot be done alone. We must walk as…
As, always as, partakers of true communion, sisters and brothers,
Brothers, sisters, in united soul force. Or…
Or else we perish.
Perish the thought. Let us take the first step toward each other as
–as inaugurators of altruism, lovers of justice, seekers of wisdom, not as fools.
Fools let us not be, for we are not just you and me. We are We.
Oh, Fran!
Such a meaningful form for echoing, threading Dr. King’s words for today’s call to action . I am struggling and am not sure that I can unite with or walk together with racist “fools.” My “we” , my seekers of wisdom and peace — yes! But what I have witnessed is so systemic that we will more of a stirring in our country before we can get to the peace — so much to disrupt, reimagine, and make completely new. I will hold onto that final line “Fools let us not be”!
So appreciate your craft here, Fran,
Sarah
Fran, the repetition of your “Echo Golden Shovel” is exactly what the poem calls for. I love that you chose to give the quote to a Golden Shovel poem. I always feel like that is a form that never disappoints. The message is golden, the call for change is clear.
My favorite line:
Thank you for this hope-filled poem! I’m sure Dr. King is smiling down on you/us today.
Fran,
Your poem echoes the inaugural theme, America United. I loved the way President Biden talked about how we can be United even in disagreement.
This is everything.
My father used to quote a poem about a jester who came before a king and repeated the refrain, “Lord, be merciful to me, a fool.” I hope we can begin to extend the mercy to others that we need desperately for ourselves. Thank you for this beautifully crafted poem which reminded me of lessons my dad taught me.
I got shivers at these lines:
“Brothers, sisters, in united soul force. Or…
Or else we perish.
Perish the thought. ”
What a beautifully constructed poem… I really enjoyed how you made each word ring with more resonance with each line. I love that you bring it back – this poem showed unity in form and in message – just beautiful and stirring.
Whoa! Fran, you circled the bases and brought that baby home! How cool a poem is that!! I love this. My favorite line is this:
I just so impressed how your cycled this all the way around to that final repetition. Cool! Thank you. Susie
Fran, wow! The echoing has such power. This is such good stuff; it leaves your fellow poet sitting here feeling just a bit envious at your skill. 🙂
“We must use time creatively, in the knowledge
that the time is always ripe to do right.”
We is the key word here. It’s going to take all of us,
Must is equally true. We have much that we must do.
Use and not abuse the freedoms that we have.
Time is fine, if we do more than rhyme. Let’s drum up some support
Creatively plan and assign the next student report.
In inside each of us is the key to our own destiny.
The is a specific article. We each have something specific to do.
Knowledge is more than we learn in college. It’s what we learn in life as well.
That is a specific directive word. This may be my task. That may be yours.
The, that specific article reminds us to be diligient, so we know when the
Time is ripe. Let’s not snipe when we hear others who may differ from us.
To do, to do, to do, to do, to do may not be fun, but let’s run.
Let’s do what is right in our sight until the victories are won.
Anna, I love the rhythm and internal rhymes, and the focus on doing more than rhyme, doing what is right, do, do, do…and yes – it will take all of us.
Yes, Anna! This quote from Dr. King is a call to not postpone, to not wait. The time is indeed ripe to do — and you are so wise to remind us that change comes from discomfort, and there is urgency in “let’s run” toward what is right.
Love the golden shovel! Perfect form for your verse!
Sarah
Anna, I love how you used your quote to create your poem. I so enjoyed the affirmative tone and emphasis to act. The repetition at the end is like a freedom song, cheering us on to do what is right; to do what we need to do!
“We must use time creatively, in the knowledge
that the time is always ripe to do right.”
We is the key word here. It’s going to take all of us,
Must is equally true. We have much that we must do.
Use and not abuse the freedoms that we have.
Time is fine, if we do more than rhyme. Let’s drum up some support
Creatively plan and assign the next student report.
In – inside each of us is the key to our own destiny
The is a specific article. We each have something specific to do.
Knowledge is more than we learn in college. It’s what we learn in life as well.
That is a specific directive word. This may be my task. That may be yours.
The, that specific article reminds us to be diligent so we know when the
Time in ripe. Let’s not snipe when we hear others who may differ from us.
To do, to do, to do, to do, to do may not be fun, but let’s run.
Let’s do what is right in our sight until the victories are won.
Anna! How clever! I am amazed by your break down of each word and how you keep it upbeat and my eyes are dancing at your clever use of font!–I especially love your commentary “to do may not be fun, but let’s run!”
I always tell my students, I don’t care if you like it or not–do the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing. We have to run towards right action, embrace it fully; it is too easy to do the wrong thing. The right ones take strength!
Anna — You have laid it out here for us, and each line calls. I particularly feel the “we” and the “creatively”… I hope to heavens we can find creative new ways of thinking together…not testing the life out of education but creatively open new discourse and problem solving and empathy. Thank you for this thoughtful call to action. Susie
I love how you structured this poem! Such a great way to honor the quote. I particularly love “to do, to do, to do, to do, to do” – we must do!!
Susie and Stacey! I just want you to know that I am sitting with your poems. I have read and reread. Now I must be with these verses. So appreciate you, friends. I am overwhelmed.
Thank you, Sarah. We have a remarkable community here! Hugs, Susie
I am honored to be part of your life and this community of writers with hearts of gold! ?
I really did not intend to write today. I have been torn over the division of our great nation. I am not upset or happy today for either Biden nor Trump, however I am numb, as I ponder the future of The United States of America.
“Only in darkness can you see the stars”
Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Mask cladded crowds
With eagle eyes
Some pray
Some talk
Old Glory waves
Through bleeding stripes
“Only in darkness can you see the stars”
“Only in darkness can you see the stars”
One solo flight Mar-a-Lago bound
Upward broken, prideful wings
Dreams of what could have been
Proclaimed by many in the darkness of plague and grief
“Only in darkness can you see the stars”
“Only in darkness can you see the stars”
One stands to face and serve
Many have watched with hopeful light
Others prefer the darkened night
While truths and rumors swirl and sprout
Old Glory weeps and stains the land
“Only in darkness can you see the stars”
“Only in darkness can you see the stars”
The House of White holds her tongue
Of all she has seen and heard
Many have stood within her yard
Night sky whispers
“Only in darkness can you see the stars”
“Only in darkness can you see the stars”
Robyn,
It is so hard to find joy and even anger when we are anxious for what is to come. Today is a beginning, like you say–“One stands to face and serve/Many have watched with hopeful light”–but a president is just a human being and people are limited in their powers, even when they run a country. There are too many other men and women out there who have choices and words to help or to hinder to ever let us know what will come. How often have we stood at the beginning of something thinking of a glorious future that history says was a dark point? Remember that God gives wonderful gifts in the midst of strife and that He is always there. When there is darkness, look for the light. Take courage!
Yes, the stars are always there even when we can’t see them.
“Numb” – I understand. So many, many things have lent themselves to it. Although you didn’t intend to write, you produced this lovely, empathetic, moving poem. The images are all so clear, speaking to the solemnity of our moments. I feel like there are stirrings of hope and healing in it, for Old Glory and for us all.
Robyn,
The repetition is so powerful here. We need to keep hearing it – over and over, and I so understand the numb, the darkness that makes any glimmer so difficult to see, especially when we cannot gather the strength to look up, to imagine.
Sarah
Robyn, I appreciate your honest heart, your sharing how you didn’t plan to write. I totally get it. But wow, I’m so thankful you wrote! Look at that poem, my dear! That’s incredibly powerful. I think the repetition of the quote you chose is almost like a mantra. Consider placing it on your mirror (on a sticky note) as a reminder that you are the star, you are the carrier and vessel of light.
I adore your poem and hope that you write whenever your numbness tells you not to.
?
Maybe “happy” isn’t the right word to characterize what so many, myself included, feel today. Many feel a sense of relief, the kind victims of abuse feel when released from their captors. Many feel catharsis, a promise and hope for healing we have not experienced these past four years. The tone of today’s ceremonies were decidedly different from the violent rhetoric of 2017, a foreshadowing of things to come. Today I was impressed by Senator Roy Blunt’s words both during the inauguration and after when presenting the painting he and Dr. Biden chose. It depicts a rainbow. “You can never go wrong with a rainbow,” Blunt said. That’s a symbol of hope. That’s what I’m holding on to so I can “see the stars” after this four year dark sky national nightmare.
Robyn — There is a palpable exhaustion in your poem…one that I think all of us understand. So much emotion has been through the wringer that “numb” just makes good honest sense. I appreciate that you wrote today…it is an important oppoorunity to let the honesty of that numbness rise and hopefully lift away. Thank you. Susie
Stacey and Susie,
I can’t thank you enough for these five days of writing and community.
Thank you for today’s inspirational call to action. I’m going to share this challenge with my seniors in our leader class this afternoon.
A note of context about my poem: I teach at an all-girls public 6th-12 school with a strong mission statement: “The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders dedicates itself to prepare young women to attend and graduate from college, commit to a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle, lead with courage and compassion, and solve problems creatively and ethically in support of our global community.” Sixty-five percent of our students are first-generation to college.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Martin King Luther, Jr.
Inauguration Day, 2021
To my students, leaders all
I see you
Hopping off zoom
To make lunch
For your brothers and sisters
I see you
Apologizing
For joining class late
Because your little sister
needed tech help
I see you
Emailing questions
And commitments
to improve
From Mexico
where you are tending
to your ailing abuela
I see you
Mourning the loss
Of not one,
But two, uncles
To Covid
I see you
Working long hours
At Target and Burger Bar
To support your families
I see you
Thanking your teachers
For connecting with you
For finding new ways
To teach and learn with you
I see you
Being vulnerable
And sharing your wisdom
In your Senior Speeches
Inspiring and anchoring our community
I see you worrying
About how to navigate the system
And bear the financial cost
To become first-gen college students
Today
we will see
Madam Vice President Kamala Harris
Become the first
Black,
South Asian
Woman
In the Executive Branch
It’s time for our Nation
To see you
To love you
To learn from you
To protect you
To honor you
To follow you
Sharon == I’m sitting here watching Kamala and Doug walk onto the stage….and I am reading your salute to your wonderful students, the young women who will follow in Kamala Harris’ footsteps. This is keenly moving to me. I love your poem and the heart you feel and express for these young women. Thank you for all you do to learn “with” your students. Hugs. Susie
Those repeated lines, “I see you,” are so powerful. I am moved by your observance of the noble, gracious, self-sacrifice acts of these young women who are already acting as leaders, right where they are. They are – your poem is – incredibly moving. Inspirational and aspirational.
My oh my! What a power punching, encouraging, uplifting poem for all of us but especially for your girls. Bravo!! I wish everyone could have a teacher like you!
In 1967 MLK delivered his speech “Beyond Vietnam,” in which he excoriated the United States for the war in Vietnam. King offered a vision, a call to action for moving beyond war and the damage it inflicted on both the Vietnamese and Americans, especially the black community. King’s speech is among my favorites. It, along with my obsession for inaugural poetry, are my inspiration today.
Beyond
“For we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us.”
Beyond the wreckage of past years,
Beyond the coup on our Capitol,
Beyond the dark and violent rhetoric,
The historical inaccuracies, the nepotism, the sacrificed international standing
America United arises on a new day;
America United cracks open to honor lives lost, to speak for her voiceless children;
America United in our shared grief,
Our longing to return to our ideals, our institutions, our shared vision
Here
We see an America that can be
An America for all her peoples
An American vision beyond
Past horizons looking to future possibilities
On this American morning
We reach beyond ourselves
We see beyond our self interest
We lift our America United
Beyond the past we can not forget
Into the great beyond.
—Glenda Funk
Glenda,
For me, you captured King’s voice and cadence beautifully; I began to read it with his voice from “I Have a Dream” and was moved powerfully by it. His and your use of parallelism/anaphora gives a rich depth of connection–“America United” is truly an America moved beyond self-interest. Thank you!
Glenda — You do justice to MLK’s words. Your lines tell the history and then push us to see beyond “Past horizons looking to future possibilities.” And merely rocking back on our heels to lull into the cradled tracks of what was will not suffice… it MUST be a united effort to move to the future… do things differently, see differently, “beyond our self interest” — you tell it, Glenda! I appreciate these inspiring lines. Thank you. Susie
Oh, Glenda!
I am pondering this great beyond and wondering how we will contain the racists in some compartment so that we can seal them up and grow beyond, to create an America that can imagine systems that are not dripping with white supremacy. I so want “this American morning” to stir something better. I know you will keep your finger America’s pulse and nudge/push it beyond. I am with you!
Sarah
I love the quote you selected, and totally admire the call to action you have given to all of us. I feel as if I can hear Martin Luther King, Jr.’s powerful voice offering this poem! Today’s Inauguration was a first beautiful healing step “Into the great beyond.”
Glenda, your poem says it all! I could not agree more that we need a new way, that we have to quit thinking about ourselves, or the all mighty dollar bill we might make at the sake of destroying something sacred. I especially liked the end of your poem:
I agree that we cannot forget the past….as horrible as it is, we have to quit making the same ones. Perhaps we will begin to be more responsible and start taking responsibility rather than casting blame or making excuses. Thanks for sharing your incredible poem and insight!
This poem has me saying, amen, AMEN! “On this American morning.” It was such a good morning. I allowed myself to watch and enjoy and tear up and cry and feel the love. I saw you tweeting too. I’m so glad we could attend together.
Glenda, I love what Andrea said about the cadence of the poem and the “I Have a Dream” speech. I reread it with that in mind, and it is such a great technique you used here. The last stanza gives me so much hope. This makes me proud to be an American:
Thank you, Susie and Stacey, for an inspirational week of prompts and poems to stir us. Love and hugs to you all until next time!
“We will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”—MLK
Finding Hope
By Nancy White
So many mountains of despair
Mountains of misinformation
Mountains of hatred
Mountains of injustice
Now it is time to chop and chisel, hack and hew
We heave shovels of persistence
Pick-axes of equity
We are the excavators of love and kindness
We will move mountains
until only a stone is left.
We will call it “hope”.
Nancy,
First, what a beautiful quote to choose; I love how you explore the metaphor of hewing a stone and the work that it takes. Your image of “the shovels of persistence” serves a a wonderful reminder that anything worth having (and hope is such a powerful, necessary thing) requires perseverance.
I also love how there is a striking contrast between your poem and its message–You don’t find hope; you work through the bad and then what is left is good
Nancy,
Love the list of tools, the repetition of /h/, but the words most inspiring to me are
I love the images here, the call to work to make ours a more loving union. Beautiful poem.
Nancy — I love the metaphors of this stone and the sculpting, the mountains that must move to make that happen. I particularly embrace the lines:
I’m lifted by your words. Thank you. Susie
Nancy, your strength is showing in your last two poems using mountains and stones. They are our guardians but also under our shaping and care. I love chop and chisel, the hack and chew. Jesus said we can do it with enough faith.
Sign me up! I love the idea of making something beautiful from the mountains of mess. Let’s roll!
I love the works and words of King and have long held many quotes in my heart; what a beautiful prompt! I am sharing it with my students today for bellwork, I hope you don’t mind.
Extreme
[“So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary’s hill three men were crucified, we must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime–the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “The Letter From Birmingham Jail”]
Soldiers, armed and empowered
to enforce the law
against their own citizens,
walk the streets that were
supposed to be paved in
freedom.
Roads in and out that were
once open to the People
have closed.
Talk is shuttered and eyes
are latched shut against
the truth of where
we have arrived.
Blood was spilled in
the name of hatred;
the wolf arrived in
lambskin justice, but
showed its teeth
and now the teeth of
razor wire surrounds
a town that once hoped
to be the light of a
New World.
Can we retrace our steps
to find where we went wrong?
Can we undo the mistakes of the
past?
We the People keep pushing and pushing
each other away as we
wrap ourselves in a cloak
of righteousness
and label Not-We the People
evil
enemy
traitor
What if, instead of pushing, we pulled
back the veil of ignorance
and pulled each other into an embrace?
We’ve seen the extremes of
fear and hate; I would like
to see what the extreme of
love could do.
Could it offer healing?
Could it dismantle the fences
we’ve placed around our hearts
and open roads to
understanding one another?
Could we finally see that We
and Not-We
are still just people,
too.
Could justice reveal itself,
finally offering the peace
and brotherhood
we have so craved?
The secret of justice
is love–loving others
as you have wished to be
loved–and searching
ever searching
to make others’ lives
more full
than your own.
And perhaps, what you give
you shall receive
in equal measure.
Perhaps, we should be more
creative
in our extremes.
Andrea,
Your poem is so powerful and inspiring.
I love the echo back to Martin Luther King, Jr’s quote:
Thank you for sharing.
I’m going to carry this with me:
Andrea,
You e captured the heartbreaking images of recent days beautifully. I love the questions you pose followed by a calm to action, to love justice, to search for right.
Andrea — The story of your poem, this history here…this is a chronicling of an important moment in our country. Save this forever, be reminded of it forever. It will serve to inspire you and your students and your own kids one day. Thank you for this very heartfelt poem. Susie
“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”
It is time
For small things.
Small good things.
Small good things over
And over
And over.
We have seen too much
Of large and small evils,
sowing sorrow,
harboring hate.
Great harm has been done
by petty thoughts
from small minds.
We begin again
with many small good things.
Multiply goodness.
Divide misery.
Build our world anew.
Small good things.
Over and over and over.
Good morning, Gayle. You have hit the nail on the head.
Small good things.
Over and over and over.
If we all can just do that, we might be able to create a new nation centered in goodness for all.
Thank you! Today I will do small good things, over and over.
?
Gayle,
I’m so moved by your poem, especially the first verse:
Thank you!
Gayle,
This is how I am feeling right now — thank you. I feel the need for a seismic shift, and imagining we can “divide misery” and do “small good things./Over and over and over” makes me resist apathy and despair. Love the short lines that distill the message for me!
Sarah
good. small. over.
tiny words used in the very best ways.
beautiful
Gayle — I so appreciate the hope in this poem. You have said what my heart feels. These lines resonated a whole lot for me:
Thank you. Susie
Susie and Stacey, I liked your use of Martin’s first name in your poems. Makes him feel like a friend we know.
We
Now engage
Now promise
Now rise
Now lift
for
Children.
Freedom is beginning
And hope will awaken
America
will
shake
bright.
Here, warm deeds
free our
creative soul.
Know what these words are from?
Here is the blackout poem I created based on words of MLK: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z5rSYsmjkrKqHxWF_Ne2m5cThAjPN-ul/view?usp=sharing
Hope it works!
Love! yes, we are always for children. Our creativity is part of the work.
Blackout Poems are so great for the undiscovered country …
This —>
“America
will
shake
bright …”
Yes!
Kevin
ANGIE -in every way, your poem, literally cut from the cloth of Martin Luther King’s words, inspires. It teared me up…the hope for children. Yes, for children. Love your poem. Susie
Ohhhh how cool to do a Blackout Poem on this! Yessss, it works and I’m in awe. Your poem gives so much encouragement for me today and for our future. I love the opening, giving us our marching orders for the children. Thank you! Truly a gift!
??????
Angie,
The repetition of “Now” is powerful. Blackout poetry is a wonderful choice for this prompt.
Edit: Your poem image is gorgeous.
Stacey and Susie, the image of the two of you today standing in solidarity and sisterhood with today’s prompt brings tears to my eyes – tears of joy, tears of hope, tears of promise! What we get to experience in this group is what I hope that all corners of the world experience – people who celebrate our diversity, who love deeply and value all! Thank you for an incredible five days of writing in a space that could teach the rest of the nation a few things about living and loving each other. I couldn’t help noticing that today’s date is a palindrome ….and symbolically, how we begin to reverse so we can proceed in a whole new direction as a country!
A Peaceful MLKJ Pantoum on a Promising and Prophetically Palindromic Inauguration Day
The time is always ripe to do right.
Whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.
Only in the darkness can you see the stars.
Hate is too great a burden to bear.
Whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Hate is too great a burden to bear.
Live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Never lose infinite hope.
Live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
We cannot walk alone.
Never lose infinite hope.
Only in the darkness can you see the stars.
We cannot walk alone.
The time is always ripe to do right.
Beautifully constructed with the amazing words of Dr. King. The final stanza that begins with infinite hope and ends with time to do right resonates with me for this new day.
What a title!!!! I love that you noticed the palindrome date. “We cannot walk alone.” Very important to remember in any situation.
ooooooooh, wow! I so enjoy a pantoum. This weaves thoughts and quotes together perfectly. Well done. This one is a keeper. Maybe for your classroom wall?
“Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
Indeed.
Kevin
Kim — Yes! How better to honor the legacy of Dr. King than you offer up his words in a cadence of hope. May 12021 be a new cycle that brings us into a sphere of peace and justice for all. Love love love. Susie
Good morning, Kim! Thank you so much for this week of poetry! I admire your writing and you truly have a heart of gold. Pantoums are fun and you’ve written a perfect “Pantoum on Promising and Prophetically Palindromic Inauguration Day.”
Your choices of MLK’s words and the placement of each line is sheer genius!
The last stanza gives me morning peace:
Thank you, my friend! ?
Kim, I love your observation about the date being a palindrome. Yes, we must reverse so many things that have been wrong. I love your repetition of “We cannot walk alone”. I pray we can come together and find common ground that unites us.
Kim,
This is a wonderful, inspired Pantoum that cements MLK’s words in our minds. I love the way the line moves and carries us into a space and call to heed MLK’s words and do what’s right.
Kim,
Thank you for this meditation on action with this series of imperative clauses that do not let us off the hook: “the time is always ripe to do right.” Yes!
Sarah
Susie and Stacey, thank you both for an inspired week of writing. I’m a little weepy this early morning for many reasons. One is gratitude for this day and all that it brings. I’m so grateful to be included in this circle of folks writing their way toward better, stronger, safer.
Only in darkness can you see the stars.” MLK Jr.
At the reflecting pool, ONLY
last night, four hundred lanterns lit IN
honor of thousands more. DARKNESS
we cast you out.CAN
it be winter if YOU
remember lavender in spring? SEE
that we don’t forget. We call upon THE
heavens to make our tears STARS
Linda, I’m with you – a little weepy and a lot hopeful! Plenty of emotions on a day like today – and what a beautiful day it is. I love your Golden Shovel form – perfect choice for a day like today – breaking new ground! The image of those lanterns to remember our losses is a vivid way to ignite hope for a better tomorrow. Lovely!
I love your golden shovel. I watched the memorial last night and stood at the foot of my TV weeping uncontrollably. So I am holding this line close:
What an amazing little poem. I LOVE the Golden Shovel and am so glad I found out about its existence in April. I LOVE “Can it be winter if you remember lavender in spring? And of course that amazing last line. Thank you!
Whoah
“… CAN
it be winter if YOU
remember lavender in spring?”
That line could easily be the start of an adjacent poem.
Kevin
Linda — How beautiful to bring this message in a Golden Shovel… it sort of fits with Kim’s recognition of the palindromic nature of today’s date…that cycle. Bringing a tight form to a day when we are so in need of the close knit, the tradition of peaceful transition, a country that needs continuity and cohesiveness is truly brilliant. I love “can it be winter if you remember lavender in spring?” … beautiful. Thank you for sharing in what I think will be a joyous but weepy moment for all of us. Hugs. Susie
Ohhhhh!! Golden Shovels are one of my faves and you’ve crafted a gorgeous GS poem for us! Wow, the flow from darkness to light, sadness to hope, brilliant!
I wish I could spend the rest of the week writing Golden Shovels with you! Thank you, Linda!☮️
Linda, this is beautiful and the layering of the image of the 400 lanterns with MLK’s quote is powerful. My favorite lines are the ending:
Linda,
Dang, girl, I love this Golden Shovel and your putting words to that beautiful ceremony last night. Hugs.
Linda,
I am struck by the all caps at the end of each line, calling to me – -ordering me to find, to look, to see the STARS! “In honor of thousands more,” I think about the symbolism of the stars to remember the souls lost to racism and hate calling to us to do something with our rememberings, to do something with our tears.
Sarah
(Thank you for the prompts these past days …. It’s been a pleasure to be inspired each morning)
“Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals.” — MLK
Observe the small child
bent over the forest trail,
a tiny fist protecting
the fragile remains
of a shattered eggshell,
and then gazing up
into the clear day sky –
Neither science nor faith
can answer all the questions
racing through their
curious mind, about time
and fate and who’ll escape,
and who won’t, and when,
and why
Kevin, that child with the eggshell looking upward – oh, my already-tender heart today is now just flooding with feelings unleashed at this image. You always find just the right words. Religion, Science….and a shattered eggshell. The intersection of two truths on the face of a child whose gaze turns skyward…..tissues, please!
Kevin, your image took my breath away. That curiosity of a child that is so big, so universal, as are the questions about time and fate…
I am in awe of this poem but especially the ending, full of a string of questions that are asked every day and you make every single little common thing sound so profound and beautiful. Your imagery and the way your poem addresses this unnecessary battle between science and fate do MLK’s thoughts justice for sure.
Wow. That intense curiosity…and innocence. What a great take on today’s prompt.
Kevin — I love the focus on a child’s wonder. That image of a kiddo cupping the shell on the pathway…beautiful. Change and solutions always start with wonder…science begins with wonder. I love this poem. It honors what I feel so deeply as a teacher… the power of observations, questions, and the “curious mind to find harmony in understanding.” I love the quote you chose and love your poem. Thank you. Susie
Good morning,
Kevin, your poem evokes a loving of innocent questioning, a gentle protection, and the bold courage of our babes. Let us go into today and our future with curiosity, protection, and courage to be love and loved.
Thank you for sharing this poem!
Kevin,
I love the call to observe culminating w/ the curiosity of not knowing all.