Wild flowers
Crisp air
Simplicity
Autumn Beauty
Uncategorized
Frustration
My last blog post was over a month ago. Why you ask?? Well, I cannot figure out this new block thing, or rather do not have time to do so and cannot figure out fast enough how to get back to classic. These days I seem inundated with one frustration after another:
- The frustration of the above.
- I am teaching high school at a school where there is no mandate for any Covid safety precautions which means no masks, no social distancing, nothing. Thankfully, I have survived the first seven weeks of this. My doctor’s office has provided me with special face shields that come under the chin and around the sides more than the usual face shield.
- My pay is the same as last year but I have one extra class and 28 more students.
- I spend most of my life these days sleeping, eating, grading, working.
- For years I have been a judge for a literary contest. I have three novels to read in a short period of time with substantially no time to do it but have one down, the second 2/3 done, and one more to go.
- Today more papers to grade, house to finish cleaning, a literary contest to enter, that novel to finish, and that is just for starters.
This is not the kind of person I think I am. What is happening to cheery, positive me?? After I post this, I will do my morning yoga ( I already did meditation), shampoo my hair, feed the horses, and get to work on all the things mentioned above.
Have a great Sunday, inspire yourself, think positive, move on.
Snake in the Wall
Searching for cool
Slithering, hunting
Transforming
The White Supremacist History of Tear Gas
One hundred years ago, a racist US General, Amos Fries, transformed tear gas from a wartime chemical into use against protestors. He loved war gases and saw them as the ultimate in US technology. He advocated the use of tear gas against any form of civil disorder. As head of US Chemical Warfare Services, he pedaled his favorite gas to private security firms, police departments, and the National Guard. According to him, tear gas in the hands of the “White man can quell any uprising.” He went on to talk about how White men are set apart from the Negro, Gurkha, and the Moroccan. In his effects were letters from the women of the Ku Klux Klan praising his efforts.
Today the tear gas he loved is used all over the world by tyrannical governments to control their people.
In Honor of My Father
The Nap
He lays on his back on the cold, hard, blue linoleum floor after
the midday dinner of homegrown roast beef, potatoes, wilted
lettuce salad, hot coffee, coconut topped cake. His left arm
forms a right angle at the elbow as the back of his wrist rests
on his forehead, touching the slight curliness of his not quite
black hair. His left leg stretched out straight, right one drawn
up, knee jutting out. The sleeves of his worn, pale blue dress
shirt rolled up; his overalls show signs of wear and washing.
Every day after dinner he naps in the same spot in this same
position for exactly fifteen minutes before returning to the field.
My father.
Seventeen years after his death, one day as I napped, slowly
driving off, astonishment stuck. There I lay exactly as my
father used to so many years ago, my left arm forming a right
angle, wrist on my forehead, left leg stretched out straight, right
one drawn up, knee jutting out. I remember not just in heart
and mind.
The body always knows.
Taken at the top of Mt. Evans in Colorado when I was a child.
Flowers for Mother’s Day
Usually, my son sends me flowers for Mother’s Day even though he lives far away. He sometimes sends his sister in Amarillo flowers as well. Since none of us are participating in the flower rituals this year due to quarantining, I offer all of you mothers out there photos of my iris this year.
Happy Mother’s Day. Stay safe, be thankful, take a walk. Enjoy!
Student Poems–Four
In the beginning of the world
nature provided.
Poachers, factories, deforestation,
We abuse nature.
Nature now has too much to carry,
Greed, selfishness, money.
Nature is being destroyed.
We are the ones who have destroyed.
If we continue,
then no one knows what the future will hold.
Luke Mason
All the birds are chirping.
The dogs are barking.
The leaves are falling.
The deer are eating.
As we lay here
in these oakwood desks
Learning!
Animals get to relax
and eat.
While we learn and
work.
WHY!
Ellwood Jennings.
The sun,
The moon,
The animals.
This is nature.
When the sun goes down
the moon comes out.
Animals howl, bellow and bark.
They are all part of
the animal kingdom.
This is nature.
Brooke Madill
Student Poems-Three
Three poems follow:
Nature
Nature is
a beautiful place
so start
kicking that
can all over
the place
we will
we will
rock
you
Ethan Singletary
As I am laying at home
I hear a loud thunderous noise
The sound startled me out of my seat
I looked out the window
There was a giant funnel
I heard the tornado siren
As the trees were coming out of ground
I run downstairs to take cover
The storm was ruling the land, but
I was safe from the natural catastrophe.
Makenna Byrd
The Grip
As the wind blows and the storm flows through this
Desolate wasteland
As you wonder the numbing thunder puts you at peace
As the wind whips and the storm grips the desolate ground
As it whirls and twirls bringing wreckage
to the sky
Someone brings a tractor to clean up
this decay
For this storm may bring sorrow but all through
the hollow the great sorrow is met with a great
peace
As the family sifts among the rubble and
finds on this trouble at least they are in
one piece
Corbin McKinney
Student Poems-Two
Here is the next set:
The Beauty of Nature
Nature is everywhere
It teaches you how to share,
God created nature
With beauty you can always capture,
Without it there will be no peace
Everywhere will soon cease,
Nature includes some of the biggest animals
Like the awesome looking camel,
Nature has everything from Willow Trees
All the way down to bumblebees,
Nature is everywhere.
Jaci Allen
life vs. nature
spring, summer
winter, fall
these are the seasons of the year
nature’s crazy
nature’s fun
nature has something for everyone
it can be scary
not so sweet
life’s like nature scary and fun
when times are tough rivers run
we may cry laugh and smile
life’s emotions drive me wild
Jordin Arnaud
Student Poems–One
After reading nature poems by Denise Levertov and Wendell Berry, the students wrote their own nature poems. Ten wanted me to post their poems on my blog, As as consequence, I will post two student poems each day. Here is the first set.
In late fall evening
There are leaves falling
and they are crunching
under your feet
as the birds fight
for the tree with the
most leaves My family
watches football in
the warm cozy house
of ours.
Trey Matthews.
Nature is beautiful
and helps you see,
the wild is suitable
for you and me.
Nature helps you grow
in strength and mindset,
and helps you realize
your true assets.
Look around and see
the beautiful world God made for me.
Bailee McAlister
writingontherim 