May 17: Letting Go, Daughter's Childhood, "Poetry With Fourth Graders"

Thinking about letting go a lot these last few weeks.  Tough to do.  But, a good friend pointed out to me that, after letting go of my daughter's childhood, there are going to be so many adventures with her as a young adult.

I'm trying to get to that place, but it's difficult.  Really difficult.

Saint Marty isn't really great at letting go.

Poetry with Fourth Graders

by:  Martin Achatz

In a few days, I must feed poetry

To my daughter’s fourth grade class,

Make them hungry for broccoli verbs,

Cabbage nouns, chickpea and carrot image.

I don’t want to embarrass my daughter

In front of classmates, serve up salad

No one will eat.  Calamari Waldorf,

Sashimi Caesar.  I will bring

Chocolate syrup, whipping cream,

Strawberries so sweet and big

Those kids will squirm, jump

Like it’s June, days before summer

Recess.  This, I’ll tell them, is poetry,

This itch for sun, beach, lake,

Time stretching into July, August,

A garden full of mud, bee, zucchini,

Tomatoes red and round and larval.

I’ll teach them to stretch leg,

Arm, neck like watermelon vine,

Feel poetry, fertile and pink,

In the bud of their bodies, ready

To unfold, open in heat, hungry

Root in dirt, tangled limbs, leaves,

Pollen on stamen, pistil on sepal,

Ovary on stigma, wild, wild joy.

I’ll watch my daughter dance, sing, grow

With her friends into full

Summer bloom.