Wednesday, March 21, 2012

2012 Slice-of-Life Story Challenge | 21

This first grade classroom...

Bright, cheerful colors envelope guests, students, and their artsy teacher
Peace signs and posters showcase ‘can-do’ personalities
Cozy cushions and books welcome readers who enjoy savor learning
A gallery of student art honors hard-work and creativity
Beautiful, purposeful charts anchor their buzzing beehive
Love.  Life.  Joy.  Inspiration.
You can feel it in this first grade classroom
for a second

Skies cloud, rain falls, memories return
All because
one name, her name,  
                                shows up
                                             again and again
                                                                     on class charts
“What do we keep up?”
“What do we take down?”
“When?”
Between tears, the young and fragile teacher asked
her bereavement counselor one morning just two weeks before Christmas.
Take it as it comes…” she consoled.  “Your kids are hurting right now and so are you.”

Nothing came down,
except one nametag on the students' work tables
She’s on the data wall
                                   the favorite book list
                                                                    the birthday poster
                                                                                                  the diagram of reading spots
Just like the rest of her classmates, she’ll move off these boards
when the doors close, the halls quiet, the lights dim one last time

Bright, cheerful colors envelope guests, students, and teachers
Peace signs and posters showcase their ‘can-do’ personalities
Cozy cushions and books welcome readers to enjoy savor learning
A gallery of student art honors hard-work and creativity
Their special space anchored with beautiful, purposeful charts
Love.  Life.  Joy.  Inspiration.
You can feel it in this first grade classroom
for a second

Write on,
b

4 comments:

  1. Beautiful poem, I had to read it several times to savor it. Very powerful words.

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  2. Wow--powerful is right. I just keep reading this. And remember those we have lost...thank you for sharing

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  3. The thought of what is behind the words in this poem is too much to absorb. Your words handle it beautifully. There is comfort in the repetition of the first stanza at the end, and grace in the changes you chose to make.

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    1. Hi Christy :). I wanted you to know this poem is about my colleague from across the hall and her young student murdered tragically in a botched robbery last December. I work with this teacher on a weekly basis and today while I was over, I noticed these details again. Just like I do each time I am in her classroom. This poem grew out of my midday thoughts...

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