The 3:00 Classroom

Gone are the high pitched
Squeals and giggles.
The low hum under the breath,
The scraping chairs
And tapping toes
Are echos in the void.
No response to the electric song
Of florescent lights.
No rebuttal as the clock
Counts out the minutes.
Just the unnatural silence
Of the classroom at rest.

With my friend Margaret and her friend Lois Lowry

Tommy's Sweatshirt
Tommy loves his new blue sweatshirt
He says it's as comfy as a nap.
Curled up in warm fleece
Hoodie pulled over his brown hair
He looks cozy as a kitten
After a hard day's play.

Back to School
I forgot how much I loved teaching
I forgot the way their smiles Light up my day.
Like a vampire
Their energy and enthusiasm
Keep me young.

Goodbye Vacation

I forgot what day it was Friday.

I forgot I was a teacher for a day.

It was just me

And the sunshine

A wide open day

And a sky full of eagles.

With Age...

Warm fingertips

Touching hair gone grey

Curling hands

Over softly settled skin

Finding folds beneath the covers

Outlining your face

With years of experience.

Another Sunrise

How can you be blase'

About a day

The starts with such a beautiful sunrise?

A touch of pink

A rosy warmth

Toasting the bottom of clouds.

The world slowly coming into focus

Distinguishing shapes

From grey backgrounds.

Waiting for that moment

When the sun burst over the horizon

And announces the day!

Goin' South

To see the blue water

The birds flying overhead

The beautiful bluffs

Goin' south

To get away

All the way to

To Lake Pepin, Minnesota

Spring Snow

I'm sitting in my freshly painted

Caribbean room

Laughing as the snow

Flakes brush past

My window

Trying to take me down

With them

But I hold fast

To the aquamarine

Tethering me

To tropical dreams.

Fresh With Possibilities

Starting a New Journal-

A place to call my own

A place to share my secret self

Protected between the pages

Nurtured by the intimacy

Of pen in hand.

Challenged by the

limitless possibilities

Of empty paper.

Aware of the mortality

Of finite pages.

But always hopeful

To start a new journal.

Mudelicious

Winter

Dripping off dirty snow piles

To land

In newly ripened mud.

A fine vintage

Of a deep chocolate color

With hints of spring

And notes of new life.

Decanted and pored

Spilling over the sidewalk

And staining

The fine lattice tablecloth

Of lingering snow.

Seeping into the water table

And sending up sprouts

Drunk with spring.

Spring Break

Welcoming spring with a fresh coat of paint
Since we couldn't go to the Caribbean
We brought the Caribbean to us...

Twins' Tickets

The wind up

The pitch

The ball sailing

Over the emerald green.

Zipping across the Skyline

Skyscraper backstop

Straight to the stars

Hovering against the moon

Over Minneapolis.

Class Limerick

There once was a class from St Paul

Who liked to play football

But on the playground

They heard a loud sound

So decided to head to the Mall!

Happy St Patrick's Day

It's St Patrick's Day
Let's go play....

Every Little Thing

It was hard to get up this morning
But at least I was able to.
There wasn't anything I wanted to eat
But a refrigerator full of food.
The car tuned over slowly
But it got me there.
Only 2 students were absent
But 1 came later.
I forgot my lunch
But the hot lunch was corn dogs.
The meeting went on long
But problems were addressed.
My computer was wiped cleaned
But it killed the virus.
On my vacation I have to let the workers in
But then we'll have new windows.
At least I have a home to come home to
With someone who loves me
A blog to write in
To remind me
That every little thing's gonna be alright.

Sidewalk Poems

Footsteps
On the way to school
Slow dragging feet and backpack.
Footsteps
On the way to play
Hopscotch parade.
Footsteps
On the way home
Flying down the pavement
Leaving my footprints behind.

Irish Pride Held High

Funny the things you understand
As a child.
I knew I wasn't suppose to like orange
But didn't understand until I learned
The history of the Irish Catholics and
German Protestant.
I never notice Grandpa's brogue
Come and go
An affectation of the Old Country.
I thought he stepped right off the boat
And brought dreams of Ireland with him.
Sitting in his lap
As he sang "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen"
I thought he really meant it.
I only knew
To him I was special
And so was Ireland.
So they both have a special place in my heart.

Mom

I miss you on days when

I see mothers and daughters

Sharing shopping or conversations

Over lunches of hot fudge sundaes.

I miss you on days when

It's cold and I put on your sweater

Or pull out a piece of your jewelry.

I miss you on days when

I crave chocolate

While watching Jeopardy or Millionaire.

I miss you on days when

I sit with my feet tucked under me

And read a good mystery

Or look out the window

And enjoy the cardinal's song.

I miss you on days when

I look in the mirror

And see my face aging into yours.

In other words

I always miss you.

Celebrating mom's birthday with Kristi Yamaguchi at the Red Balloon!

Japan

Adam with his usual candor blurted out

I think they deserved it.

In his young mind they were the enemy

And this was retribution.

What a sad idea

How terrible that people really feel that way.

HIV is God's punishment

Disasters are comeuppance

God is on our side

And to hell with the rest of the world.

Some days

There's so much more than math to teach.

December Dreams
By Grade 3/4

The plump and satisfied bear
After his buffet of
Fat juicy fish
Snoozes, sleeps and snores
As he dreams
Of his honey dessert.

Parent's Friends

Seeing people
Who knew you,
I want to ask
What were you like
As a friend or acquaintance?
What topics of conversation
Did you share?
Do they see you in me?
But instead
I turn away
Not wanting to open the memories.
Not willing to ask the questions
That will connect the dots.
No easy answer
To your absence.
Only anger that they're still here
While I have only
Stories of the past.

Fat Tuesday

Every day is Fat Tuesday
In a kid's life.
Scrambling after
All the candy
They can consume.
Yelling and screaming
Till their lungs burst
Or their neighbors ears.
Jumping and skipping
Feet hardly touching the floor.
Flying down the corridors
Past the classrooms
Beyond the learning
Out of reach of adults
Mardi Gras
In the lunch room.

Sharing Stories

I remember
Learning how to paint pigs
On the garage walls
With grandpa.
It was getting a new coat
So our primer was no problem
Not so when I spread my artistry
To the kitchen walls.
Mom was more upset with grandpa
For his teaching
Then me for my mimicry.
But it's a memory
I treasure
And it gets better
With every telling.

Color Swatch

Awash in a sea

Of colors

Coral green

To Poolside blue

Trying to capture

That elusive

Sea color

Of a Cancun beach

To spread across

My winter room

And transform it

Into spring.

Mardi Gras

One last celebration

Before Lent.

A throwing beads

To the wind

Kind of abandon.

Mesmerizing jazz bands

And swirling Hurricane drinks.

A fun night to party.

Even better if

It wasn't a school fund raiser.

Death and Taxes

IOU the IRS

And Maggie's grandma died.

Maggie always had

Such wonderful stories about her.

Her fun sense of humor and love of life

Her keen wit and sharp mind.

It puts it all in perspective.

Besides it's only money

And you can't take it with you.

Date Night

Crab legs and lobster
Or White Castles and fries
It's fun to get away
To get out of the routine
Get wild on Wednesday
Focus on each other
And forget the rest.

Back to Jazzercise

Forgot the music
And the moves
But muscle memory
Kicking in
We're back to dance again.

March

March in
Like a lion
Roaring winter
Loud and clear.
March out
Like a lamb
Soft gentle breezes
Tripping into April.
March forward
Into spring!