#SOL20 Day 23 Fine. Whatever.

Fine. 

I'll get dressed.

I don't really want to, but

Whatever.

Really I just want is to stay in my robe

All Day.

But I'll get dressed

(comfortably, I might add)

And, fine. 

I'll join the pop-up

Writing Group

on Zoom. 

I don't really want to.

I can't think of a 

Damn Thing 

to say.

Whatever.

I'll write.

Because if I don't

Do It Now

I might not do it

At All.

And then

I won't get my notebook pages written

and forget about

A Blog Post. 

Really. 

I probably won't 

Get Anything Done.

Whatever.

Does it even matter?

Yes. Yes, it does!

Because through this whole mess, 

I've been writing and 

Being Pretty Positive. 

Today it is just hard to get motivated. 

So. Fine. Whatever.

I wrote.

#SOL20 Day 9

Lazing around on a 

Rainy Monday morning.

Reading, 

Writing,

Dozing.

Taking a shower on a

Rainy Monday morning.

Washing,

Dreaming, 

Planning.

Making breakfast on a 

Rainy Monday morning.

Stirring, 

Chopping,

Eating.

Checking my phone on a 

Rainy Monday morning.

Oh No! It's school. 

Need me to sub. 

Get there as quick as I can!

Drying hair

Putting on make-up

Getting Dressed.

Grab the bag

Don't forget your keys

Crap. 

Forgot to grab the umbrella

On a rainy Monday morning.

And because the song keeps going through my head, check out the Carpenters singing Rainy Days and Mondays

{solsc} 20/31 #sol18 Rain-Washed Clouds

It must be the day for writing Paint Chip Poetry. I often used this activity when I taught Creative Writing. Today Margaret Simon shared her poetry and how she uses this activity in her classroom. If you are feeling adventurous, give it a try. I found my paint chip on Pinterest!

Waking early

Rain washed gray clouds 

Create a windy blue light

to the day

Drinking coffee

Drizzle falls teasing the tulips

up from the ground

Writing Poetry

As storm clouds gather and 

Rain brings spring to the world

{solsc} 15/31 #sol18 . Good-Bye Old Friend

Good-bye old friend.
You filled up much faster than I thought you would.
And that's a good thing
But sad also.

I loved looking at your cover every day and
The gentle nudge you provided.

I tried to start writing in you last fall.
Beginnings, I called it.

But then I put you away again
And forgot.

January found me itching to write again.
I dug you out and made a
Plan.

I dated you.

I prompted you.

I wrote.

Every day.

I filled you with
Quotes
To remind me
To Write
For me
Because I needed to.

There are post-it notes scattered throughout
With inspiration for new ideas.

There are letters and rants about
Frustrations
and Life
That will never be read
by Anyone
But Me
And that's OK.

Today
I wrote in you for the
Last Time.

But you are not gone.
You will be
Treasured and
Referred to
Many more times
As I continue to
Write My Life.

{solsc} 9/31 #sol17 This Time Next Week

Saturday is State Speech

Our season is ending

Next week

I won't have to be 

at school

at dawn

or

leave at sunset.

Next week

Kids won't want to practice

during my

"free time"

or 

after track

or during their study hall

but

my class

Next week

There will be

no more 

funny conversations

or serious ones

or prom ones.

There will be 

no more

snacking

noise

laughter

No More.

Ever.

{#sol15} 5/31 Sometimes

Join us at Two Writing Teachers
for the March Slice of Life challenge.
Share your stories!

Sometimes

the thing you most want to write about, 

that moment 

that is upper most in your mind, 

you just can't write about. 

It's not really your story to tell, 

but it does affect you. 

The words float about in your brain, 

trying to come together, 

trying to recreate that moment that changed your day, 

changed your life. 

They are trying to come together 

to share a feeling, 

a moment.

But, they just aren't ready yet.

And you have to leave them

ALONE

until the timing is right.

26/31 Totally Acceptable

He enters the room with a slight bounce in his step, 

the start of a grin on his face.

"Are you ready?"

I ask.

"Well, kind of."

I can see the discomfort

the unease

the nerves

racing throughout his body.

"Great!" 

I'm trying to send him 

the confidence

he needs

to speak today.

The others enter the room

chatting,

laughing,

wondering

what will happen today.

Will he be ready?

Will he refuse?

Will there be another

Blow-up?

With his hoodie as his

shield

and his headphones

as his talisman,

he walks to the front of the room.

He stands at the podium,

nervous,

but he begins.

At first 

I wonder if he

will ever

look up.

And then he does.

He's got this.

14/31 It's a Dog's Life

Today I want to be Chloe.

As I am trying to get up the energy to get to school, Chloe lay snoring on the couch (yep. Snoring.) She had her head on the pillow, a blanket under her to stay warm and I thought to myself, "I want to be Chloe. What a life."

If I were Chloe
I wouldn't have to set the alarm
I'd just wait for someone to
Speak to me softly as I wake up
They'd let me outside,
Wait for my bark
And then give me a
TREAT
when I came back in.

I'd do lay on the couch
With my head on the pillow
and
Snuggle in the blanket
I drift back off to sleep
Without a care in the world
Waking only when someone else got up

I'd only have a few jobs
to wait for the mailman
and bark at him to leave our yard
Watch for the neighbors to come home
and bark at them to come and play
Keep the squirrels and rabbits at bay
And
Play

I'd play when I wanted
Sleep when I needed
And always know I was loved.

I want to be Chloe.

Wait a minute here. Who is she kidding?  She thinks I have it easy?  Let me tell you a little something…

It's true
I don't have to set an alarm
But I also have no choice when to 
Get Up
If she's up, I have to get up
I go outside and
IT'S COLD OUT THERE
I may bark to let them know to
LET ME BACK IN
IT'S COLD OUT HERE
But sometimes it takes awhile,
So I bark some more
And then I get in trouble for barking too much.

There's just no pleasing some people.

It's true 
I go back to sleep on the couch
(But, I DO NOT snore)
It's not like anyone's going to play with me
At that hour of the day.
And sometimes, it's really early for me.
She doesn't know how late Dad and I 
Stay up 
Sometimes.

Shhhh. Don't tell!

It's true
I bark at the mailman
(there's just something not right about him)
and the squirrel and rabbits and birds
(don't they know this is my territory?)
And those neighbor kids look fun.
I should be able to go over and play once in awhile
AND
They have dogs too.  Can't I go play with them?

I don't get to play all day
'Cause there is no one home 
to play with
I don't get to sleep all day
'Cause there are things to take care of 
I miss my mom and dad when they are gone
Sometimes, I'm afraid they won't come back
I'm afraid they don't know how much 
I love them. 

I wish I was a people too.

11/31 8:15 on a School Day

Join the fun of the March Slice of Life Challenge at Two Writing Teachers

A prompt that I often do with Creative Writing is from a song called "10:15 on a Saturday Night" by The Cure.   I found the original idea on Writing Fix. I decided to take that idea today and see where it lead....

8:15 on a school day
Silent
Peaceful
The only sounds are
the buzz from the classroom
next door and
the tapping of my
computer keys
Restful
Productive


12:15 on a school day
Quiet class
Working hard
or looking like it
Some days
buzzing
Some days chatting
Always polite and
respectful

3:15 on a school day
Buzzing
Loud
Locker doors slamming
friends yelling
Plans being made
Scurrying
Hurrying
Home

4:15 on a school day
Ahhhhhhhhh

D. 4/21/13

Every Morning:

"Mornin' D. How are you today?"

"Mornin" Ms. Day. I'm good."

Head down.

Capped pulled low.

Hair in eyes.

Some mornings:

"Mornin' D. Would you take this down to my room?"

"No prob, Ms. Day"

Last Week:

I miss D sitting on the planters texting 

who knows who

at 7:30am.

I miss D and our two sentence conversations.

Yesterday:

A one sentence conversation

"D committed suicide this morning."

Today:

I thought I was fine,

ready for what the day had to bring,

But the planter knocked me for a loop.

Good-bye D.

I'll miss you.

#27 of 31 Today

Today I was reminded how short life really is,     

            to appreciate my family and friends,

            to make each moment count.

Today I was reminded to be kind, 

           even when I don't feel like it

           because you just never know.

           

Today I was reminded to be patient

           because what's easy to some

           brings others to tears.

Today I was reminded

           while my life isn't perfect 

           and happy all the time

           it is my life and I need enjoy it.

#20 of 31 Where I'm From

Each semester I use George Ella Lyon's poem "Where I'm From" as a mentor text as I teach inspire force  cajole students into writing poetry. This year, I really began to seriously write with them. Here is my poem

I'm from Comet

and Clorox and the white glove test.

I'm from using the back door

so you don't track dirt in the house.

I'm from tents on the clothesline 

on hot summer days

pretending to be queen of the castle.

I'm from spoon fudge and frozen Christmas cookies

(they always taste better that way).

From Don and Pat, who married too young.

I'm from playing Pitch and 

loving the lake.

From "Watch your sisters" and "Don't forget to get money from your dad."

I'm from strong Norwegian women

and the men who loved them

with a little Dutch and German stubborness

thrown in.

In the boxes in the closet

and the photo albums on the shelf

sit  memories of a past

I sometimes try to ignore

But will always be part of me.

#17 of 31 Silence

Chloe sleeps

exhausted 

Dreaming her dreams of

running 

playing

barking

cuddling

We sit in our chairs

in comfortable silence

snuggled under

favorite blankets 

watching mindless TV

chucking together

over 

moments with family

The house rests quietly

only the hum of the furnace

and the

    tap

    tap

      tapping 

of computer keys

Grandkids

We miss you already

breaks the silence.

#15 of 31 Waiting

The house rests quietly

only the hum of the furnace

and the

    tap

    tap

      tapping 

of computer keys

breaks the silence.

Chloe waits

patiently

looking out 

her favorite window

as if

she knows

(although we haven't told her)

But soon

very soon

the silence will be broken

Gramma and Grandpa, 

I missed you

#4 of 31 Snow Day: Student Style

Although there is a Winter Storm Warning right now for my county in Iowa, we are in school (thank heavens, because we probably won't be here tomorrow). The first question of the day was, "When are we getting out, Mrs. Day?" (I know, hard to believe it isn't about what we are learning in class). Kids have been tweeting their pleas for getting out early. So, in the spirit of the day, I asked a couple of classes to give me all the reasons we should get out early, then I took a couple of the tweets and made up a poem.

Bankin' on an early out,

so I'm lookin' like a bum.

Not believin' we  had school.

The weather and roads are dumb.

Early out! Please?

It's crappy and it's Monday, 

and I don't want to be here.

The sidewalks they are icy,  

and I fell right on my rear.

Early out! Please?

The wild turkeys are callin',

A snow tiger  on the loose,  

Two cars slid into the ditch. 

Wait! I think I saw a moose.

Early out! Please?

Flying monkeys are coming

A zombie apocalypse too

The end of the world is near

And my toes are turnin' blue.

Early out! Please?

Words

Sometimes my problem with an
online presence
is that I can't
anonymously
say what I want. I can't
rant and rave and
scream and yell and
cry and whine
about the happenings in my world.

I have to step back.

I have to look at my words
professionally,
ethically,
humanly.

I have to test them.
Feel them
Live them
Before I send them
Out into the world.

And sometimes,
That isn't enough.
Even now
Some will think
These words are about them.

But they're not.

They're about me,

Lost

What can I write about?
What can I write about?
Did my brain turn to mush?
Did all smart thought leave my brain?

I know they're in there.
They were there Sunday during #iaedchat.
People even commented and favorited
Things that I said!
And I had ideas to write about then.

I know there were thoughts in there
Yesterday--an ice day here in Iowa.
I chatted with people on Twitter
Watched the book awards online.
I had things to say about books!

I had things to write about the power of a thank-you.
I had things to write about Chloe.
I had things to write about teaching.
I had things to write about the grandkids.

But they're gone now.

Where'd they go?

All that's left are
Wandering Words
with
No connections
To my life.

Explosion

Explosion in room 25
Combustible attitudes
Overworked teacher
Tired Students

An F bomb drops
Not acceptable
An "I'll do what I want"
Attitude

Confrontation
Going nowhere
Others waiting
To see where this train is headed

Headed
To an impasse
No winners
Only whiners

Today's Task
Rebuilding
Connections

The Smiley Faced Box

The Smiley Faced Box.

It sat on the kitchen table

All night

Waiting patiently.

But,

I knew what was inside

So I left it where it was

So it wouldn't distract me.

7:15am

I bring it to school 

for that is where it belongs.

I didn't open it.

At First.

I planned

to organize my room

and clean the smudge

off my desks.

I would write lesson plans

and run off papers

and be ready for next week.

But,

There it sat.

The Smiley Faced Box.

Looking at me.

Whispering

"Just take a little peek."

So I did

(even though I already knew

the magic it held).

And there inside the

Smiley Faced Box

were whining children

waiting to be eaten by

MONSTERS!

And there was Ralph

who thought he didn't have a

story to tell,

but told me one anyway.

And 

best of all

waiting patiently

at the bottom of the 

Smiley Faced Box

Cassia

and

Ky

and

Xander

Reached for me

Ready to share with me

How they made it to the end.

Who needs lesson plans anyway?

                             

What I Write

Letters and lists
Plans and poetry and posts
Tweets and To dos
Status updates
These are the things
I write.

Conversations with Chloe
Sharing giggles with grandkids
My love of the lake
and my classroom.
These are the things
I write.

A secret novel
Mentor texts
Comments for kids
Ideas ideas ideas
These are the things
I write

Hopes and fears
Dreams
Regrets
Loves and hates
These are the things
I write...