By Way of Introduction

I have two poems to share by way of introduction to our Fall 2012 1101 class.

The first riffs off Tom Romano's Where I'm From

Where I'm From:

I am from calculated risk, and trying again.
I am from close your eyes and jump and then be responsible for where you land.
I am from "when you are in a hurry, slow down," and "we make our own happiness." 

I am from my grandmother's yellow kitchen and buttermilk biscuits, chickens in the backyard and pigs out by the barn.

I am from field peas and collard greens and canning one more jar of tomatoes.

I am from West Meck high, circa 1992 and proud to be an Indian.

I am from the learning cottages of North Meck High, tracking through the mud to teach 180 students at a time. 

I am from writing groups and transformative dreams and conversations over a glass of wine with my Writing Project community and friends.

I am from re-writing and re-seeing, and re-visioning one. more. time.

I am from distance runs turned yoga practice.

I am from early morning reading and writing sprints and late night ponderings interrupting a perfectly delicious novel.

I am from the sigh of my sleeping junkyard dog while my children build some crazy contraption in our office as my husband and pal of 16 years and I look on with wonder at how we all got to this place. 

I am from a candle lit back porch and the quiet moments that breathe the intensity of living. 


And another with a little more edge . . .


Funds of Knowledge

Zen

            trial by fire.

High pressure

            “I’ve got your back”

            back to back

            leaning, learning, always

breathing.

“That” kid from “that” school

            street cred

            street smart

Accepting

            for now.

Stretching to show

            what you know

            I want to know.

And don’t forget

            to breathe.