Day 69 of The 100 Day Poetry Project

 Day 69 of The 100 Day Poetry Project

Today I pulled out my grandma's old coin purse to tell a story about our trips on the Amtrak trains but I didn't get to tell that story so instead, I wrote some of it down in this poem. I was lucky enough to be the oldest grandchild and my grandma, her name was Gertrude, and I would take the train to Red Wing or Wabasha and spend the day having fun together. She never drove but she didn't let that stop her, so we either took a long bus ride or took the train to places. Oh, I miss her so much.

Day 68 of The 100 Day Poetry Project

 Day 68 of The 100 Day Poetry Project

I wanted to write a poem today that celebrated earth and I spent some time outside today in the lovely 60-degree weather and walked in the woods at sunset. It was nice. So go out and pay attention, look and listen and see if you can see or feel the earth dance.

Day 67 of The 100 Day Poetry Project

 Day 67 of The 100 Day Poetry Project

You never know when inspiration will strike and you will have to sit down and write.
I thought of my empty desks today, sitting in my classroom all week without us there and this poem appeared. Teaching right now is awkward. I have 8 students in a class period if I'm lucky and 20 plus students still at home doing distance learning. No one really knows anyone and I've literally met my students for the first time last week. Students don't really know how to be students or even to talk to each other anymore. It's so eerily quiet in the hallways and when I give them a break, they just stay in their seat. We are now going for walks around the building (we are not allowed to go outside) and it's weird but I think they like it. When I came back to school to get ready for students. My room was a time capsule.

I'm learning. I'm growing and expanding myself as a teacher and a learner for sure.

Day 66 of The 100 Days Poetry Project

 Day 66 of The 100 Days Poetry Project

I wrote this poem based on a prompt I read today from a little boy who has cancer and plays a game with his mom where they close their eyes and say what they see inside. I remember as a kid being afraid of the darkness when my eyes were closed and the shapes that morphed in my mind. Today when I did it, I saw winged things and shapes and so much more. It was a fun experiment to pay attention to and write about it.

What do you see when you close your eyes?

Day 65 of The 100 Days Poetry Project

 Day 65 of The 100 Days Poetry Project

This poem and commentary were originally written on April 18th.

The entire world is watching Minnesota right now. The Derek Chauvin trial is ending with a verdict imminent this week. I teach in Minneapolis public schools and we are moving to distance learning on Wednesday for the rest of the week. National Guard is everywhere and businesses are boarding up. Anxiety is high.

A week ago today, a beautiful young black man, Duante Wright was killed by police. We are a community grieving for Daunte and George Floyd. Our pain is raw and the whole world is watching.

I'm having a hard time thinking about anything else as we begin this week and so this poem was born so I could process and remember.

Day 64 of The 100 Day Poetry Project

 Day 64 of The 100 Day Poetry Project

Last week after the Haven Retreat ended many of us felt like we had a hangover and someone called it a "vulnerability hangover" and I said, I am going to write a poem about that. So this is the first part of that poem. I think many of us don't really know how to be vulnerable and being vulnerable scares most of us so much that we avoid it. I know I avoid it sometimes because it is scary. But you really can't have a meaningful relationship without vulnerability.

Go read Brene Brown.

Day 63 of The 100 Day Poetry Project

 Day 63 of The 100 Day Poetry Project

I'm writing about the house I stayed at in Utah for the Haven Retreat. It really is a beautiful healing house. One of the women in our group was a beautiful singer and I could hear her singing in the halls. It was nestled in the mountains, safe and serene. A perfect location to begin the work of healing and for the creation of community.

Day 62 of The 100 Day Poetry Project

 Day 62 of The 100 Day Poetry Project

During the Haven Retreat for sex abuse survivors, we did a mediation where we visited and spoke with our future older self. I visited her but my older self didn't say anything. She welcomed me and we just held hands and held each other. Everyone else in my group had their older self respond with advice. This is when I learned I have a lot of barriers blocking me from living a full and fulfilling life.
So today I thought I would write an epistle poem to my future wiser older self and tell her how I am preparing for her future today.

Day 61 of The 100 Day Poetry project

 Day 61 of The 100 Day Poetry project

I read several poems about articles of clothing today which gave me the idea to write about my great grandmother's mink stole. I had to ask my mom about it because I know nothing about its story. My great-grandmother Johanna immigrated to the U.S. in 1906. My grandma was her youngest child. My mom wore the stole once and I'm not sure if my grandma or aunts wore it at all. I've only worn it once. It's definitely vintage and not really fashionable. So it lives in my closet.

Do you have interesting vintage clothing?

Day 60 of The 100 Day Poetry Project

 Day 60 of The 100 Day Poetry Project

I struggled to decide what to write about today. I kept thinking about going for a walk tomorrow and how I really want to walk the entire Superior Hiking Trail and then all of The Ice Age trail and then the North Country trail and so many more.
People in my family love to walk. I could walk all day long, every day. I would love to just keep on walking and never look back but I'm too responsible to do that.

Someday I am trying to get away from my bad memories and some days I am out walking for the pure love of being outdoors in nature.

Do you like to walk?