That phrase–a picture is worth 1000 words–reminds me of the power that photographs have to tell stories. So today, when the #verselove prompt asks to tell the story of a photo in a poem, I knew I would have thousands of choices. Katrina suggested choosing a photo that includes yourself in it…hmmm, now my choices are much more limited.
So I picked this image and the first three lines kept echoing in my head. So…etheree it is…a poem in 10 lines.
Have you ever written a sevenling? Me either. Leilya’s prompt over at #verselove suggested we write about a Friday date night–and try on a short form. Sevenling was a suggested form, and one I was unfamiliar with. And Friday date night turned into Friday road trip…in the form of a sevenling.
On the road (again)
In the car we sit, miles accumulating like snowdrifts
Mind numbing, body cramping, time freezing
Traffic and Google navigation mishaps punctuated with alltheswearwords
We burst into song, another oldie even I know the lyrics to
Seeking attractions from concrete dinosaurs to indie bookstores
Adventures found in unexpected places
In the hate/love struggle of roadtrips, when I’m with you love always wins
World’s largest flip flop, Rainbow sandal store, San Clemente, CA
Today’s #verselove prompt asks for poetry inspired by a place your favorite writer loves. I have so many favorite poets, but honestly know little about their favorite places. Today as I explored CA central coast beaches, my writer-mentor became clear.
Rachel Carson is best know as a scientist and environmentalist, but her writing evokes the essence of poetry. An internet search uncovered an article where historian and author Jill Lepore described Carson as a “scientist poet of the sea.” Just what I was looking for.
So I let the sea inspire my poetry today. Today dawned cloudy and cool, yesterday’s sunshine merely a memory. To try to capture both the science aspect and some spare nature poetry, I chose a Haibun as my format.
Sea-spiration
Into the clouds we plunged, shrinking my field of vision. Purple sand dollars waved from the wet low-tide sand, many sporting a barnacle rider or two. As they lighten, becoming delicate skeletons, a charcoal-traced design appears. Like the sand dollars, I tunnel in, finding quiet in the symphony of wave and wind. Beauty emerges in the smallness.
I wake up in the morning wondering what I will write as my poem of the day for April’s National Poetry Month. Today’s #verselove prompt was all about letters.
It didn’t take me long to decide that I would write about SLO–especially when I snapped this mural (and cow) on my rainy day downtown exploration. (Do you know that SLO has the tiniest art museum? “Snug” but soooo good!). Anyway, in addition to knowing I would write about these letters, I needed something more. I needed some kind of constraint to structure my thinking and my poem. I decided on an Etheree…a poem that begins with 1 syllable and builds to 10 (or you can go the other way from 10 to 1).
Inspired by Kim Johnson’s prompt for #verselove over at Ethical ELA, I wrote about a sunset over San Luis Obispo (SLO) (which was also inspired by the tree posing in the setting sun).
I did a bit of an archeological dig today. I found out that I started this blog a little less than eleven years ago (in July of 2013). When i started, I gave myself a 30-day challenge to try to establish a writing and posting habit. But I ended up writing and posting everyday for over a year (I missed one day that year when I was sick). I was afraid to stop, thinking I might never start again.
I’ve been writing and posting for 60 consecutive days each March and April since 2018 as I participate in both the Slice of Life Challenge (thanks Two Writing Teachers) and then National Poetry Month where I have written and posted a poem everyday, most recently with the help of #verselove over at Ethical ELA.
And I write and post periodically at other times throughout the year, frequently about teaching and learning activities in my classroom.
But does any of this provide insight into why I write?
I consider myself to be a teacher-writer. Someone who writes what I ask my students to write, who composes in front of them to demonstrate both the challenges and the successes. And for similar reasons I blog and post to make my teaching processes visible, again sharing both challenges and successes. I could just write in a journal, writing for myself. But for me, it is the process of going “public”–even if no one reads my posts–that nudges me to clarify, for myself and others, why I do what I do. It also keeps me from complaining (which I am want to do in private writing) and forces me to find some kind of conclusion or resolution to each writing piece I do.
I love that writing gives me opportunity for reflection. When I am writing I find myself considering how I might do something in its next iteration. What should be done differently, what should remain essentially the same? I think about how I feel as a teacher–what is working, what makes my work hard, what makes my students’ learning easier and more fun. And I consider what brings joy…to me, to my students, to my family, maybe even my readers. (I actually wrote my teaching goal this year about joy–which my principal agreed was a great goal!)
I also write because I have community in these online spaces. I learn from the writing choices my online colleagues make, mentors in ways they likely don’t know. I appreciate each tap of the like button and every comment of encouragement that keeps me accountable and on track, even on those days that coming up with a topic feels impossible. The Two Writing Teachers/Slice of Life community is incredible–offering inspiration and support, encouragement and comfort, always seeming to know what I need and when I need it.
I write to understand myself and to understand the inner workings experienced as a writer. I’ve learned that writing is never easy and always worth it.
Hope to see you all in these online spaces even without a monthly challenge and maybe on some Tuesdays for the weekly SOL challenges. Until next year…
What are your favorite things to do on a rainy Saturday?
It’s not a top ten list, but here are 5 things I did today.
Wake up slowly to the music of raindrops dancing on the roof. Snuggle back under the covers, letting the rhythm sing me back to sleep for another half hour or so.
Hang out in jammies while catching up on a few shows that have been building up in the DVR (yes, we still have a DVR) while drinking a delicious Geoff-made chai tea latte.
Read (from two novels) during the day without feeling guilty that I should be catching up on work that is still lingering. Okay–make that without too much guilt–there is always lingering work!
Pull on a raincoat and take a walk between the raindrops. Step carefully over the snails that have arrived for the rainy day snail convention and be sure to notice the raindrops hanging like jewels from the bird of paradise.
Curl up in the cozy chair, cover up with a comfy throw blanket, open up the laptop and leisurely catch up on some of that lingering work…on my own terms.
Thinking Through My Lens 