Yielding to Circumstances

Today is National Poem-in-your-pocket Day, an occasion I have enjoyed celebrating with my students for nearly 20 years. In that time, we have done some pretty amazing events, including recorded interviews, choral readings, and other performance opportunities. Mostly, though, we just give kids a chance to select a poem they love, write it down, carry it with them, and share it with others.

Our school moved to a block schedule in 2021, and as positive as it can be, it does put a crimp on our usual revels. Since I only see half of the students on any given day, I don't get to mark Poem-in-your-pocket Day with the classes that are not scheduled. Oh, we can celebrate it the next day, but the unity of having the whole sixth grade do the same fun poetry thing is lost, and I miss it.

But, in the spirit of doing the best we can with what we have, I just tell the kids on the off day that we are celebrating Orthodox Poem-in-your-pocket Day. They don't get it, but it amuses me.

Here's a poem for today:

The Milkweed
By Richard Wilbur 

Anonymous as cherubs 

over the crib of God 

white seeds are floating 

out of my burst pod. 

What power had I 

before I learned to yield? 

Shatter me, great wind: 

I shall possess the field.