A poem. — Should I ever again See the sand Begin to boil On an evening Beach, As it brings forth An explosion of Baby turtles Who scurry toward The warm Outstretched arms Of Mother Ocean, I will sit in Glorious wonder, Awestruck Before the fertility of This womb Of the Earth. And should I see A little one Go astray, I will help it Find its way To its life In the water.

This morning, while waiting for our court appointment, my lawyer and I talked about justice and the law, and habits. You see, the case was fairly straightforward, so we completed our business rather quickly, and we had time to meet each other. He is 84, and in the habit of…

What do you see? Dirty dishes? Indeed! But do you also see the bits of herb Captured like hostages In the olive oil traps? It is oregano and garlic, actually — Sublime bits of flavor That oil alone can deliver To your palate Suspended in the juicy delight Of a meal which brought a sigh And a nice finish To another day.

This may be it! This moment This milestone Perhaps the pinnacle Of my incarnate life. Let me capture it. Let me savor it. With all that I am. How do I feel? A bit self-conscious? Let this joy be my beauty! Banish my insecurities. And unnecessary fears Even as the flab under my arms And my…

Teaching High School: October Embrace the Mystery This week was harder with lots of bumps in the road and a pervasive feeling that the task is bigger than I anticipated. The resistance isn’t ready to yield just yet. Trust is not uniformly won. But the stars were breathtaking in the…

Cumberland Island in December The fat seagulls line up where the sand is soft to wait for an easy meal along the water. The smallest of the sand pipers skitter about seemingly randomly like tailless mice with long legs. The hikers with their backpacks and hats lumber past me. They…

Teacher Reflections during Senior Slump — So many days, I come home thinking over the events of the day. I think about my fragile students and wonder, “Was I gentle enough? Did I strike the right balance between challenging and caring?” I think of one who has a problem with procrastination and didn’t finish his work…

I am Sisyphus! 34 years I have hoisted, yanked, rolled, and pushed my students up the mountain. 34 times I have made this journey.

So shiny and pretty when they are new! They add pep to your step and make you dazzle! A tiny splash of instant beauty Perfect placement to accent a smile And bring glitter to your eyes. Earrings! Some are precious. They last a lifetime, Jewels which you simply must exhibit On the holiest of days. Only a little attention is needed to restore the graceful elegance.