Love That Boy

My writing teacher brings poetry to us every week to inspire and give us ideas for teaching poetry.  She brought us a poem today that made me a little teary... I could see my Jake in the words with a few changes-

Love That Boy
-Original by Walter Dean Myers
With a few changes for my boy.....

Love that boy
Like a bird loves to sing
I said I love that boy
Like a bird loves to sing
Love to call him in the morning
Love to call him
"Hey There Son!"

He walks like his daddy
Grins like his Uncle Matthew
I said he walks like his daddy
and grins like his Uncle Matthew
Grins when he happy
When he sad he grins again

His mama like to hold him
Like to feed him chocolate pie
I said his mama like to hold him
Feed him that chocolate pie
She can have him now
He's gonna fly- by and by

He got long roads to walk down
Before the setting sun
I said he got a long, long road
to walk down,
Before the setting sun
He'll be a long stride walker
and  a good man before he done.

Writer's Notebook #4: Carly

(grrr... I keep trying to fix it but every time I publish this, it puts weird spaces in... it's supposed to just be line after line)

Carly

I’m the one

who came first

opening her eyes and heart as mother

who shops with her, advises her, dreams and laughs with her- 

no subject too big or too small for us!
I’m the one

who reads and thinks and reads again

who values strength, intelligence and independent thought- 

outside the trend
who wants all the answers- Now!

but waits for the quiet whispers that illuminate

who recognizes truth and won’t turn away

even when it hurts, even when it’s hard

I’m the one

who makes plans decisively, ventures boldly,

who falls hard when dreams crumble at my feet

and yet

I’m the one

who rises from the rubble- a phoenix

with greater understanding and new direction

hesitant at first, then vision clear- I soar

I am Loyalty 

Writers Notebook #3: Samantha

Samantha  

I am the one

who came to chaos

with patience and peace,

who reminds her of Jane-

As I stand, fierce & defiant, against injustice.

who likes understanding and creates order

with calendars and lists and checks

and yet-

I am the one

who likes to be just a little bit crazy

with silly glasses, funny faces, goofy songs.

who is willing to go out on a limb-

sometimes for a laugh, always for a friend.

I am the one

who sees through anger and hurt

to find my mistake,

who finds it easy to forgive,

but not so easy, the forgetting...

I am the one

who tries so hard

because nobody notices,

  I am Grace. 

Writer's Notebook #2: Rachel

Rachel

I’m the one

who feels peace

as the green grass of summer touches my skin,

who finds comfort

as my fingers twist in her hair.

I’m the one

who sees the world in my own way,

and waits for someone to see- truly see- me.

I’m the one

who sees wildflowers in weeds &  beauty in the changing colors of a leaf,

who gives love in inked kindnesses placed on pillows

I’m the one

who runs-

through aching legs, calculus problems, anxiety, fear, confusion.

I'm the one

who knows Triumph.

I am commitment.  

From my Writer's Notebook #1: Jacob

Jacob

 I'm the one

who remembers everything-

head full of possibilities,

who talks in circles until she talks back-

through teeth clenched together,

hands balled into fists at her sides.

And yet...

I’m the one

who makes her laugh-

at least once every day,

who dances with her at weddings,

guiding, dipping, spinning.

I’m the one

who grew so tall, so fast,

hurling spears, beating drums, keeping time, making noise.

I am energy.

The Writer's Notebook

I have a writing class this semester.  Since I am in the Education program, it is focused on how to teach writing.  One of our required books was Ralph Fletcher's, A writer's Notebook.

It's a book geared towards kids to give them ideas on how to keep a notebook full of their thoughts and ideas and observations that will give them topics to write about.  It was engaging and fun and inspiring.  One of our assignments is to keep our own writer's notebook because how can we teach what we do not know??? It has been fun for me.  

We even had a FHE on it which inspired Samantha and Rachel to go get their own notebooks and they have been writing in their notebooks.  They both have struggled with keeping current with their journal writing.  It IS journal writing with a twist and it's fun to see them fired up about recording their thoughts.  The boys have not been inspired but hey... you do what you can and leave it at that.  

There was a gorgeous poem in the book written by a 4th grader that I loved and it inspired me to start furiously scribbling about each of my children.  I wanted to make an "I am the one who" poem about each of them.  I will post them as I complete them although I have a feeling there will always be more I want to add to each of them as it is hard to capture all things about a person you love so much.

Untitled

by Chase Whitmire

I am the person who

Frantically plays with leaves, 

Dances with the sun,

Smiles at the moon,

Follows the stars,

Puts my arm around the wind's shoulder,

Tells secrets with the water.

And I think I'm special

to have such adoring things to do.

The imagery first made me think of Rachel, my nature girl-

 but it was Jakes' that I finished first, then Rachel.  I'm still working on the others......

A little more about Brian. A little more about faith.

I am feeling more at peace with my sadness by the things I have been reading about Mr. Flex in an article  my mom shared with me and in his obituary .  

I was especially touched by a quote his family shared that expressed how he felt about dying near the end of his life...

"I'm not afraid to die. I know who's up there. I just want to live."  

I've read that quote several times in the last couple of days but it brings tears to my eyes each time: the Faith and sureness- the aching hope.

My dad said that he felt those same things on the day he had his heart attack 13 years ago. I am so grateful my dad lived.  I have needed him these 13 years.  I wish Brian had lived too.   

My mom said so many people wanted to attend his funeral that it was held in one church building chapel but broadcast to two other churches in town and they were all full.  

His life touched so many others.  Maybe that was part of his life's mission: to touch other people and be an example of goodness and strength.  So many people who experience the kind of success this kid experienced become cocky and prideful.  It sounds like Brian never did.  It's made me think about what is really important in this mortal test-  

The most important thing we can do is know who we are and who is waiting for us and live a life that exemplifies kindness, doing your best and helping those we meet along the way.  

If I was to leave this life tomorrow would I feel like I had done those things?  I want  a chance tomorrow to do better, to be better.  

I do know who's up there but I am a little afraid-  I don't feel like I am my best self yet and I'd really like to be when my time comes.  So, I hope God can wait a little while for me to figure some things out.  

All of this thinking about death and enduring trial makes me think about how I've handled some of my trials in the past.  The image of a turtle comes to mind: pulling back inside my shell, hunkering down, waiting for it to pass.  Yes- I did learn some things but mostly, I endured with eyes closed tightly, body tensed, muttering "Go away! Go away! Go away!".

I want to be the kind of person who faces trials with my eyes open asking "what can I learn from this?  What is God trying to make of me?"  I want to throw on my protective gear and walk into the storm saying "I am not afraid!".  

I'm not there yet but wanting to be is the first step right?