We Bark...A Lot

here we are

sitting in the chair

waiting for daddy to come back home

a squirrel scampers by

we bark

a lot

a car drives past the cul de sac

our heads turn as we follow it closely

we grumble quietly

a cat runs across the yard

we bark

a lot

and then some more

to be safe

the mailman arrives at the box

we stand and bark

a lot

just in case

the neighbor dares to come out his door

we bark

a lot

to remind him we know he's there

the man from down the block 

trots the fluffy white dog past our window view

we bark

a lot

the leaves rustle in the grass

we growl a bit

just a warning

the fast-walking man blows by

arms swinging, feet keeping time

we bark

a lot

the maroon van crests the hill

and we know

we bark

we jump

we turn circles

we wear out paths to the door

we bark

we whine

we pant

we wag

we bark some more

we put our noses to the door

it's time

daddy's home

we bark

just to say "hi"

and "we missed you"

but mostly "we're glad you're home"

and now we can rest

a nap in the chair

no longer with our nose to the window

because he is home

and all is right

with our world

now

we snore

a lot

A Teacher

As a teacher, I know my daily schedule will be busy each day.  As a kindergarten teacher, I know I will be "on" every minute of the day.  A kindergarten teacher doesn't get a breather, a kindergarten teacher doesn't give an assignment and know the kids will handle it from there.  I've had the makings of today's post floating around in my head for months now and today just seemed like the day to try to shake it out.  Teachers...I bet you can relate.

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away...

A teacher
got to drink her coffee while it was still hot.

A teacher
used the bathroom when it was needed.

A teacher
ate her lunch without interruption.

A teacher
always remembered to take attendance.

A teacher
went home without a full bag of work.

A teacher
didn't write lesson plans on Saturday.

A teacher
had students who heard the directions the first time.

A teacher
didn't have to buy classroom supplies out of her own pocket.

A teacher
had students who didn't goof around and play social butterfly...

A teacher
stayed home sick because planning for a sub was no big deal.

A teacher
woke up.

A teacher
realized it was all a dream.

A teacher
remembered all the things that make teaching hard.

A teacher
got out of bed anyway.

A teacher
knew the reward far outweighed the hard stuff.

A teacher
smiled and hugged her students.

A teacher
shared her heart and watched a child grow.

A teacher
inspired.

A teacher
loved.

It's Hard To Say Goodbye

It's hard to say goodbye

It's hard to say goodbye when you don't want to
when you would rather stay in the moment

It's hard to say goodbye when you wish the end wasn't near
when you want to continue on to more tomorrows

It's hard to say goodbye when you are enjoying yourself
when you are happy in your current place

It's hard to say goodbye when you know it will change everything
when you know your view will be different

It's hard to say goodbye when you know you found a good thing
when you see and enjoy the benefits you are reaping

It's hard to say goodbye when you reach the end of March
when you flip the page to a fresh month

It's hard to say goodbye when you type that last slice
(even) when you know there are still Tuesday slices to write

It's hard to say goodbye


This has been a great month of writing, encouragement from peers, and finding my writing groove.  I will miss connecting through writing to you and your lives shared through slices.  I will miss checking in each day to catch up with all my blogging buddies, old and new.  I have found it very rewarding this year to be a part of the welcome wagon.  The new slicers that I had the opportunity to follow and get to know were amazing and did a great job on their first challenges.  I encouraged each of them to join in on Tuesdays to keep the fun going.  So...instead of saying goodbye...I'll say...

Until Tuesday!!! 

You Will Always Be My Baby

Today my oldest baby turned 12!  I can't believe it!  I have thought about how to write for him today and have composed many times in my head, playing with form.  I debated a letter, a poem, a story about him, and finally I just kept coming back to the repeating line.  A poem it is!


You might be more independent that you used to be
you can do many things for yourself
but you will always be my baby

You might be the oldest child in the family
you may be responsible now
but you will always be my baby

You might be owning a deeper voice now
you may be eye to eye with me
but you will always be my baby

Happy Birthday Matthew!

School Bag Stems Poetry - Who Knew?

I cleaned out my school bag tonight.  It always surprises me to see what is lurking in the bottom.  I mean, it's not like I eat over my bag or even put food in it, but there are always crumbs in the bottom.  There are little pieces of paper and glitter and what looks like a small bit of the sandbox.

But...

Among all the ick was a little gem.

As I was sorting the contents into piles of need it and don't, I stumbled onto a poem I wrote in the fall.  Up until this point in the day, I didn't know what I was going to slice about.  I was determined NOT to write about the high levels of frustration we were experiencing due to science projects that are due Monday or the dining room chair that broke tonight as my (tiny) daughter stood on the side brace bar thingy.  Sigh. 

This poem quickly became just what I needed to get to the computer and write!

Cottony white couds
Caress the brilliant blue sky
The sun glows warm
Highlighting vivid oranges
Reds and yellows
Flamboyant in the trees
A stunning display
of autumn's beauty

The poem also started me thinking about spring and inspired a new poem!


Grass greens
Sky blues
Buds burst
Flowers bloom
Birds sing
Breezes warm
Kids call
Bikes emerge
Clouds puff
Spring unfolds

Who would have thought cleaning out my school bag would be so profitable?  Maybe I should do it more often!  What might you find in the bottom of your bag?

Possibilities

I decided to try a quick write based on the picture I took from my car window this morning on my way to work and, from there, a poem emerged!

Each day dawns with a new sunrise.  Sometimes it’s full of hope and brilliant rays of possibilities.  Sometimes it’s a bit cloudy, but still there, hiding in the shadows.  Sometimes it’s gloomy and dark.  But, as the song says, “the sun will come out tomorrow” and each tomorrow holds new potential.

Possibilities

As endless as the sunrise

Spreading out into the world

Reaching each corner

Sometimes in brilliance

Sometimes in shadow

Always there

Always coming back

Everlasting potential

No Electronics Haiku

Because March is reading month, our school has many different reading incentives going on right now.  One incentive is a turn off all electronics day.  If you turn off electronics and have no screen time for a day, you can turn in a slip to be entered for a prize drawing.  My daughters decided (this a bit of prodding) that today was the day to accomplish this task.  So, the tv didn't turn on today, the phones and iPads and Kindles were all off.  We had a great day!!  My husband and I participated too and have just now, at 8:45 turned on the computer and tv.  I mean, after all, I have a slice to link and it IS Sunday, which means The Walking Dead is on.  There is no reading incentive valuable enough for us to miss that!  :)

Because of no electronics day, I tried my hand at a haiku today.  Simple and quick to reflect my day.

Silence is treasured

No electronics today

See you tomorrow!

 

I Am, I Am Not

I am not...
a pushover.  I can be stubborn.
disorganized.  I usually know which pile something is in.
loud and in your face.  That's not in my comfort zone.
good at small talk or idle conversation.  Awkward!
having an easy time writing this piece.


I am...
easy going, usually.  I prefer to be flexible, but I can be stubborn.
organized, even if it's not classic organization.
quiet.  It's just me, but I expect and earn attention in the classroom.
a good friend once I know you.  Loyal.
glad this piece is done.


I saw another slicer try this type of poem and I really enjoyed it.  I can't for the life of me remember who shared it originally!  If it's you or you know who it was please let me know so I can link and give credit!  I should have written it down but I didn't (see I am not...above).  It turns out, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be!  Try it for yourself!

Update:
Thank you Jonathan David Keeler for pointing me in the right direction!  Here is the source of the original.

Kindergarten ABCs of Gratefulness

 As I read and commented on slices Saturday morning, I knew I would find something to love at Linda's blog, Teacher Dance.  There is always something great to find there!  On this particular day, she wrote an ABC poem of gratefulness.  I nodded in agreement (daughters and sons) and chuckled at some (underwear) as I read through the list of things she was thankful for. My first thought was: I should try this for my own slice. It sounds fun!  My second thought was: I bet my students would really enjoy this too!  

Fast forward to today!

I had a few minutes of extra time this afternoon.  Don't ask.  I'm not sure how it happened either and I'm sure tomorrow I will figure out what I left out today, but I'm glad I forgot it, whatever it was.

We spent a few minutes talk about what grateful and thankful meant.  I'm sure you can imagine how that conversation played out in my kindergarten classroom, but we got the general idea.

I pulled up Linda's blog post on the screen and read them the poem.  (They really liked the photo of your grandkids, Linda!)  They agreed with many and lost their minds in fits of giggles when I got to the "U" word.  We even made some guesses about Linda based on the things she is grateful for...she likes to eat oatmeal, apples and eggs, yellow is her favorite color and she is a mom and a grandma.  

I wrote the letters on the white board and off we went.  We each took a turn adding something we were grateful for and discussing which letter that word started with (a great review!).  Some things were silly, some were reaching a bit (notice all the zoo animals?) but some were exactly what I expected (mom, dad, family). 

Apples, boots, cousins, dads, everybody, family, God, horses, ice cream, Jesus, kangaroos, lions, moms, noses, octopus, puppies, quilts, rain, school and sisters, toys and teachers, umbrellas, vacuums, water, xylophones, yo-yos and zebras.

Pretty excellent, right?

Maybe tomorrow I will try it myself.  Thanks for the inspiration Linda!

Happy Birthday Dad!

I wonder who will join you at your table today
on your birthday up in heaven?
And do you get to choose
your birthday feast?
I bet I know just what you'd choose!
A hamburger grilled dark over a campfire,
a side of potato salad, or chips, or corn on the cob.
A root beer in your hand
or maybe an un-root beer?
And do you get to pick your treat?
It hits me now I'm not so sure
what you would desire.
A strawberry shake? A vanilla cone?
A chocolate cake?
Anyway, I'm sure it will be delicious.
And are there lots of sunshine streamers
with puffy cloud balloons?
I bet there are angels singing
a birthday tune for you.
If I was there, I would.
I'd even go easy on your candle count,
though not on the getting old jokes.
I'm sure those who join your table today
will take up my slack
as I won't be there to celebrate with you.
But in my heart
please know I'm singing
Happy Birthday to you today Dad
from this side of heaven.


I composed this several times in my head before my fingers found the keys.  It had to be just right today.  It couldn't be rushed.  I knew it would come in it's own time and it did.  And, if I wish it up to heaven, maybe it will even find it's way to him.

I found the balloon picture on Pinterest.  I don't know who to give credit to but it was too perfect not to use.  If you know where it came from, let me know.  I'd like to give credit if I could.

Broken

I enjoyed reading Betsy's post on turning quick writes into poems today.  I fully intended to give this technique a try for my slice today.  But, as often happens, life got in my face and demanded that I write a different kind of slice.  It's still a poetry slice but it stems from a lunch table conversation instead of a quick write. 

once happy
often light-hearted
frustration floats
heaviness in the air
broken
the mood has shifted
tolerating the untolerable
feet dragging
excuse making
broken
changes needed
follow through lost
ignoring lets it linger
broken

Ice Frosted Trees

As I drove to school this morning, my children playing together quietly in the backseat, I noticed the trees.  It was like they were standing guard over the road before me.  They were frost covered and white; stark against the bluing morning sky.  They were beautiful!  Unfortunately, they were also rushing past my window and I couldn't snap the perfect picture.  I caught myself thinking that it was Tuesday, slicing day, and that's when the poem began to form in my mind.  I did some editing and revising as I drove and quickly typed it while sitting at a stop sign, thankful for quiet country roads.

I was able to try out PicMonkey yesterday for another poem I was working on and when I remembered a photo I had taken last winter after an ice storm, I decided to do some playing.  How was your drive today?

Come join in the slicing fun at the Two Writing Teachers blog.

Snow Day!

On Sunday, like many others, we were bombarded with snow!  We went from barely enough to cover the grass to a knee-high blanket.  It's beautiful and it bought us a snow day on Monday.  Along with the frosty fingers and toes it brought my children and the happy giggles I heard from the sleds, it also brought me this poem. 

snow streams

     down

   blows cold
            on my face

SLASHES

the air
      with frost

and finally

     lands on the Earth

a frozen message
        from Heaven

it's meaning
and beauty

         different

for each


Did you get a new thick blanket too?  What did your snow pile inspire?

There are days...

 

There are days when frustration is at the forefront of my being

When everything up my sleeve has been tried once, twice, three times

Days when I can’t imagine one second more or I might just explode

There are days when joy is brimming over the edge of my cup

When everything has been brilliant, fulfilling, successful

Days when I can’t imagine feeling more victorious

There are days when nothing fits in the box

When everything stacks up, higher and higher, trembling, tilting

Days when I can’t breathe for fear of dropping all the spinning plates

There are days when giggles fill the air and feed my soul

When everything shines a little brighter, warmer, happier

Days when I can’t believe it could get any better

There are days

When everything makes me wonder, worry, value

Days when I can’t decide what to decide

There are days.

What kind of day is today?

Trying my hand...

If you stopped by my blog during March then you already know we were anticipating the arrival of our newest family member...a puppy!  In April, you may have seen a few new pictures.  You probably even saw the debate over and choosing of her name.

Well, now she's become a topic of my writing!  I often write poetry, mostly for myself but I also share it from time to time.  However, I very rarely write poetry for children.  I love reading children's poetry but I've never been inspired to write it.  It's just never really even crossed my mind.

Until last week.

One day, during a break, I sat at my computer with a rare free moment at school.  I didn't have email to respond to, I didn't have grades to enter, I didn't have copies to make or even phone calls to return.  So, I took advantage of it and spent some time writing!  What came out over the next couple of days surprised me very much!  I decided to share it for some feedback...keep in mind it's my first children's poetry ever!

I sat on a bench today

Just to breath the time away

A little bird landed near

Somehow I knew I shouldn’t fear

He tipped his head

And “Hi,” he said

“Why are you feeling down?

I see your face, I see your frown.”

Staring with shock and surprise

I could not believe my eyes

He started again, he began to speak

My head shaking, my knees weak

“Can’t believe you hear me, right?”

I nodded my head, fighting flight

“No one does and that’s a fact.

No one knows just how to act,

When words fall out

Should they run, should they shout?”

I just shrugged, it’s all I could do

He asked again, “Why are you blue?”

So, I figured I might as well talk

“Tuesdays are our day to walk.”

He said, “But you are alone, right?”

I guess I looked a sorry sight

“Usually I walk with my friend,

Tuesdays are our time to spend.

We walk in the park and feed the birds

Just to be, to play, to share some words

I’m lost without her, my faithful friend

Always with me until the end

My dog.