This time it is
exactly what I want to see.
This time it is
My priorities, not his.
Whatever I want life to be,
my choices and philosophy,
This time it is.
Another rondelet. The speaker of this poem has a bit of a declaration here! 🙂 I have met quite a few women over the years who’ve fought to overturn programming and embrace their independence.
Here’s another pantoum poem, written as a demo with a class on Poetry Friday. This was last block of the day, and one of the students wanted to go get a muffin… Another laugh filled class as we created this poem together!
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Muffin Pantoum (C block)
Josie and Ally want a muffin;
They can’t work on empty stomachs.
Without food, they won’t do nothin’.
How about crackers and hummus?
They can’t work on empty stomachs
How can we ask them to?
How about crackers and hummus?
As we watched, their hunger grew.
How can we ask them to?
A muffin’s not too much to ask!
As we watched, their hunger grew.
They couldn’t do their tasks.
A muffin’s not too much to ask!
A morsel would be fine!
They couldn’t do their tasks
Oh, please! Please, let them dine!
A morsel would be fine!
They only need a bit of food;
Oh, please! Please, let them dine!
Josie gives us attitude.
They only need a bit of food
Without food, they won’t do nothing
Josie gives us attitude:
Josie and Ally want a muffin!
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(This is quite literal. When we were done, they went off and got ONE muffin that they shared). 🙂
“I’m just running away,” you say.
Just.
Running.
Sometimes
Escape is a good idea.
If a tyrannosaurus is after you
or a smaller villain of equal viciousness, for example.
(You know what they say about sticks and stones).
Run today,
But keep your eyes open for future alternatives.
There’s a lot of meat in a tyrannosaurus;
harvesting offers its challenges,
but I have faith in you.
We’re nestled here between the hills
protected from the harsh winds
warm and basking by the lake.
But you are bored,
you’re ready to escape,
to see what lies beyond the valley
and so we wave farewell
knowing after adventure,
home calls the blood.
Naked girl
giggling down the road
Babysitter chasing
with the bath towel.
Toddler joyfully
on the run.
.
.
.
I can still hear the giggles in memory, though the toddler in question is now 33 years old.  🙂
She was young,
but she had a dream
to cut herself free
from the stigma of family
substance abuse,
poverty, and
hopelessness,
if only someone would give her scissors
and show her how to use them.
A teacher said,
“You can do it!”
So she applied for a training course,
wondering how she’d pay for the tool kit
or pay for the rent to live in another town.
“We’ll write letters!” said the teacher.
“It’ll work out!”
Community groups responded to her letters
and her impressive resume of volunteer activities
with cheques in hand.Â
“You’ve helped this community.
We want to help you achieve this dream.”
The billet said, “Would you work off
your room and board in chores?”
And suddenly the impossible
was happening.
Shining new scissors sliced her past away
and cut open hope
for her future.
.
.
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True story. Apprenticeship programs offer kids real skills and credits for professional training and high school credit. Some times there are barriers for kids to take advantage of the opportunity, but where there is a will, there is a way. The school is there to help kids achieve their dreams, after all. Thanks to the service clubs who make a difference, quietly meeting needs in their communities: Lions, Rotary, Royal Canadian Legion, Elks, Kinsmen, Oddfellows, and the like.  Today is a particularly good day in my world.
Shawn L. Bird 