Inspired by Joy Harjo's poem "I Am Not Ready to Die Yet."
I am seeing clear connections between everything happening in the universe: the events, the things I am reading, the things I am listening to, the things I feel compelled to write.
This poem fits into my #64Challenge because the last week of our school year in Lee County was a volatile one across the nation. I have witnessed tense word exchanges between colleague. I have read the comments by my students of the past, many who are actively protesting. I cannot help but be thoughtfully moved by it all, and I know I need to use it as the ground for moving forward.
Everything connecting.
Today I carry the desire to live a life as one who will be open to the stories of others, to listen for the truth, to not be swayed by useless rhetoric and grandstanding.
Today I carry the desire to live a classroom life as one who will help others identify and tell their stories, rather than allow someone else define and write them.
Today I carry the desire to live as an example of one who gathers the knowledge of the past, bringing it into the present, and examining all angles with an unflinching eye.
Today I carry the desire to live a life of non-judgment. Everything I need to know is in the person in front of me. They are the key to heaven.
Today I carry the desire to live a life where words matter. I can see the frames used to justify fear and inflammation. What I need are words that heal and promote growth.
Today I carry the desire to live a life of these choices and pray, in some small way, a few tiny ripples can reach another shore.
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