Saturday, April 10, 2021

and boy could I use a drink

Greetings, Poets and Poetry Lovers!  Before we get to the main course, I'd like you to know that my April NPM project, inspired by the excellent experience of participating in Laura Shovan's February Poetry Projects on Facebook, is to host a group called PARADISE, PAVED: 

"We are poets who need a place to park the results of our daily writing practice. We're looking for accountability, community and feedback. It may not be grand or glamorous, but it's practical--and private. There are just two rules, beyond the basic rules of civil discourse and internet decency:
1) Any day that you post a poem, please offer comments to at least three other poets.
2) If you used any kind of prompt, share!

It's private so that our efforts can't be considered previously published on the web (which prevents submission to many journals and anthologies)--but it's open to whomever.  We'd love to have you if you need a place to post! Just drop me a note and I'll invite you.

And now:  It was a Big Week: back to In-Person PreK on Thursday after a year of dreading what it might be like to teach 4- and 5-year-olds masked and from 6 feet away.  Technically, the 6-foot distance requirement changed in the last two weeks to "more like 3 feet is good enough," which means that our 9 students became 10 in a large early childhood room.

And guess what?  After I had both a panic attack and a temper tantrum (mainly about having to add a daily commute back in to my day), it went...not so terrible! Except for specials, there's nothing we need to use Chromebooks for, and while our pile of Pretend Play furniture and all the big wooden blocks are languishing in a corner covered by a Christmas flamingoes bedsheet (my para is a consummate thrift-store shopper), these little ones, most of whom had never been to any kind of school, took their individual trapezoid tables and individual Choice Boxes full of manipulatives in stride.

It'll be a while before we get the hang of dashing out of school at noon to get home and teach the Virtual PM group at 1:00--and it is two preparations, after all--but it wasn't awful and sad and difficult.  Check in with me after the honeymoon...

Meanwhile, by 5pm on Thursday I was well and truly wiped.  It was gorgeous out, so I got my turquoise lounge chair from the shed and sat reading BRAIDING SWEETGRASS in the evening sun and drinking a celebratory beer...which reacted unexpectedly strongly with my dehydration and my anti-anxiety pill, so that I when I stood up to make dinner I was well and truly DRUNK.  But not too drunk to cook, and not too drunk to notice that around the corner of the house these beauties had bloomed.

 


So here's my equation poem, inspired by Laura Purdie Salas's SNOWMAN - COLD = PUDDLE. 

 

evening sun + tulip cups + breeze = 

cocktails on a green beach

 

Our host today is dear Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference.  May bebidas en una playa verde ease our swirling bilingual minds!


11 comments:

  1. You definitely earned that drink! Good to hear in-person school is back, but sad to know the first school experience for these little ones had to be under such stressful circumstances. Brava to you and all the other educators for everything you're doing!

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  2. Wow! So great that your return to in-person school went well. I'm curious to know what you think of Braiding Sweetgrass - I loved it. And yay for making wherever you are into a beach! <3

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  3. Congrats on a successful week! I love that the kids are willing to take the new stuff in stride.

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  4. Oh, my gosh Heidi. From the Christmas flamingo sheet to the celebratory beer...you have me laughing and crying. I"m so glad you are ok and the cocktails are beautiful.

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  5. Oh that green beach! I love it, Heidi, and the uh and ee sounds echoing each other in such a short poem. I'm glad that the transition back to in-person wasn't impossible. I think it's probably harder than you're making it sound! But an optimistic attitude is a good thing. Hooray for a step toward learning together in the same space! Stay hydrated and poem-filled. (And enjoy your well-earned cocktail!)

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  6. What a week! But I love your celebration on a "green beach!" I'll have to remember that when I am sitting on mine!

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  7. I hear your exhaustion, and I only had two days to host 10 in the room for a state test, then four in the room and the rest through the screen for a PM of hands-on science fun.

    I'll join your group...really I will...not sure when...maybe June?

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  8. You deserved that beer, and your celebratory equation describes the moment on your "green beach." The tulips are gorgeous. I can never have them in my yard with my deer visitors, so admire yours.

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  9. I'm so glad your first day was "not so terrible." Your equation poem is perfect, and I agree with others that you deserved that beer!

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  10. Heidi,
    I missed this post on Friday, but I want to let you know that your voice is all over it. And for that I am so grateful. Like I was sitting next to you getting drunk off one beer. The thing that makes all of this crazy school stuff tolerable is the kids. Always the kids. It's my reason for doing it again and again every day. I'm glad it wasn't terrible. I need to join in the equation poem fun!

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  11. Woot for your in person teaching and the "not so terrible" results, Heidi! Your equation adds up to excellent self care. :)

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Thanks for joining in the wild rumpus!