Imagine my surprise this morning when the post by Ethical ELA was hosted by friend and colleague Emily Yamasaki! I was immediately drawn into both the mentor poem, things I have memorized by Maria Giesbrecht and Emily’s poem, Things I Know. I dove deeply into the cool pool of poems that emerged from Emily’s provocation, reading and feeling, admiring and analyzing as I began to think about my own writing for this second day of National Poetry Month.

Things I Know by Heart

The sleek curve of the egret’s neck

in the tidepool at low tide

The smells of love that fill our home

emanating from the kitchen

The silence of his last breath

matching the empty space in our family

My daily commute, etched in the recesses of my mind,

requiring no conscious thought

My childhood phone number

but not my passwords–they continue to elude me

The sweetness of little boys

now into the second generation

Fear of fire, seared into my memory

brought back by ashes that rain down like snowflakes

Fog’s gray blanket

an indicator that spring has arrived

Each of the traffic spots on the 5 between our house and theirs

no matter how long it takes, every trip is worth it

Sunset’s fiery sky painting

celebrating endings and promising new beginnings

@kd0602