Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Not part of the curriculum

As I walked in tonight, dressed in shoes reserved for weddings and, at my age, more often wakes, a moth fluttered by the porch light.

One of the porch light panes is broken--a house sparrow spends its winter evenings warming itself by the glow of the compact fluorescent light. Bird crap stains our front porch--I don't have the heart to kick the bird out mid-winter.


Few things lonelier than a summer moth fooled by a winter porch light.

A child lost her mother this weekend. I teach the child. I saw her mother tonight in a casket.

I teach for a lot of reasons, and I teach in my own town for a few reasons more.

My bird, my moth, my student are all real, and all matter.





Public education matters for reasons Arne will never get.


4 comments:

Patty V said...

And today, we buried Krissy..a sweet 37 year old mommy who once lived in your house. Krissy is a Scaturo - she left behind her twin Karen, an older sister Cathy, her mom and dad - her devastated husband Billy, her 8 year old Joey. Krissy left us unexpectedly, playing legos with Joey one night - gone the next. Krissy lost her little 5 year old Michael to lukemia just 2 years ago & never truly got over it (what mother does?)

Krissy & Karen were two sweet little munchkins who grew up in your house, always romping through it, always giggling - living in that secret, laughing world that only twins know. So your home was definitely part of our memories this week, the days to come, and forever. Perhaps the butterfly who visits this spring....

doyle said...

Dear Patty,

Been a rough winter round these parts. Imbolc is coming. And so are the butterflies.

Kate T said...

Cold as a cold thing today, but imagine my delight as I skirted the lake and turned home that at 5:00pm it was still light.

Blessed Imbolc - the light returns and those two little babies of mine turn 16.

Spring is coming.

doyle said...

Dear Kate,

I now have Imbolc and you and your twins and crocuses forever entwined in my head.

Thank you for the poems, please keep them coming.

I need you to meet Leslie some day....