A stage of grass in the field walked across.

Fist bumps given.

Hugs from specials given and tears shed.

After a final flurry, the hallway falls to silence.

The stuff left behind tossed, forgotten and gone.

Boxes packed, labeled for the big move.

Chairs stacked, weary of the transition.

Carts loaded, elevators summoned.

Repeatedly.

The truck, trailer, three times makes the journey.

A garage repurposed to a storage locker.

Parking spot lost for the summer.

Awaiting a new classroom home.

Awaiting a new classroom home.

From class to class;

Give them few more minutes,

Let them socialize,

Meander,

Build relationships,

Use the restroom,

Visit their locker,

Enjoy some introverted time alone in a quiet classroom.

A teenager's brain focused,

15 minutes at a time.

Hour long classes?

Make them shorter,

Less structured time,

More independence,

More doing,

More creating,

More showing their abilities.

Chairs and desks in rows,

Like an assembly line,

Putting widgets together.

No more.

Couches

And comfy chairs

And rolling, cushioned, desk chairs.

Sitting on the counter,

The table,

Laying on the floor.

Standing,

Moving around,

Being allowed to find what works that day.

There's no passing time,

For lunch.

Hurry up,

Wait,

Sit,

At your assigned table.

Scarf down a cold sandwich,

Feed your belly,

Get back to class.

This isn't the best.

Give them an hour,

Give them recess,

Give them hot, healthy, delicious food.

Let them slow down,

Let them socialize,

Let them run and be kids.

Let them play, relax, be alone.

A windowless school.

Humming fluorescent lights.

Dingy tile floors.

Trickling drinking fountains.

Graffitied lockers.

Drafty windows.

Stifling air,

No air conditioning,

Uncontrollable heat.

Dusty chalkboards.

Create new spaces,

LED lighting with dimmers.

Water filters with bottle fillers.

Carpeting.

Floor to ceiling windows,

Keeping the outside out.

Easy to erase whiteboards on the walls.

Filtered, conditioned air,

Hot and cold.

Spaces to encourage learning.

Bell to bell, no cell.

Preparing them for the real world.

That's not it.

A device in their hand.

Embrace their preference,

Let them use what they know,

They have options,

Use the best tool for the situation.

Old, white people,

Leading education,

The way it's always been done.

Not the best.

Not the most relevant.

Not rising to where kids are now.

Let's change.

Students are different.

The world is different.

Technology is different.

The old isn't acceptable.

We know better.

We need to do better.

Classrooms should lead it,

They are.

Schools should encourage,

Allow the new wave,

Ask the teachers.

Districts need to get on board,

Support the teachers.

Make it better.

Be the leaders our students need.

The morning sun glancing off the burning fog.

Black flies taking their time, buzzing the early risers.

Me, looking up from the ink to capture a moment.

Fisher people mosey across the grass,

To their dew stained boats.

Cursing motors that won't turn.

Bait left a mess by the littles.

Lines twisted like bowls of spaghetti.

With a shot, boats race off.

Disappearing for hours.

Finding the elusive,

The one that got away.

The bay quiet, returned to glass.

Families in cabins playing games.

Splashing in pools.

Jumping on floaties.

Laying on a towel.

Reading through the stack of novels,

That never diminishes.

Sipping an afternoon cocktail of relaxation.

In a hammock between two trees,

While the rest of the world goes by.

A potluck dinner,

Dished up in the Lodge.

Everyone coming together.

Charred brats and potatoes 8 ways.

Laughter, drama, new friendships, and life-long bonds,

Cemented every year with overstuffed plates and bellies.

The sun bows behind the cabins,

Black flies give way to mosquitoes,

Friends find chairs,

With beverages,

Along the shore.

Lightning rolls across the stillness.

Laughter spills from cabin windows.

The moon closes another adventure, 

Fills the promise of more to come.

-July 4, 2021

Just past the candy store.

Talking quietly about the world of a 4-year-old.

Full of promise and wonder.

The bus, full of strangers and experiences.

The child, full of questions.

Deposited at the library.

Storytime.

Kids.

Puppets,

Quiet.

It erupts into playtime,

Exploring nooks,

The crannies of a new space.

Being shushed by librarians,

Given books to read on the risers.

Holding hands,

Leaving the stories behind.

The bus takes us home.

Walking past the candy store.

Suddenly, a skill conquered.

Never done before.

Tried and failed, even that day.

Skipping.

Little walking jumps,

Down the sidewalk.

All the way home.

With mom close behind, smiling, clapping.

Skipping.

July 4, 2021

Here, guitars, drums, tambourines, and Amens.

Downstairs, tiny shining faces soaking up the Word.

Over there, Fellowship of His people in chocolate chip cookies.

At home, a simple table Prayer of Thanks for everything.

In the operating room, the doctors and nurses, hands guided thru Him, giving, healing.

Waiting in the toy aisle, a random and strange God bless you for a sneeze.

Before school, the music of Praise streaming in the classroom speakers.

In the silence of sleep, a happy, unconscious thought of an ever-present Angel.

A baby, too young to know, but sent and accepted by All.

In the alley, a pretty pink bike found by a new Friend for a beautiful little girl.

Between two people, simple Love and a lifelong Vow.

Everywhere,  every little thing, Blessings everywhere.

-Undated, circa 2009