Period 1

This is the class that greeted me that cool spring day when I started this teaching business this year. How ironic that, because of the finals schedule, they would be my last. On their final, I gave them the William Stafford poem, “You Reading This, Be Ready”, and asked them to use the poem as inspiration to talk about this year. Here’s the Stafford poem, then one a girl wrote in response.

You Reading This, Be Ready

Starting here, what do you want to remember? How sunlight creeps along a shining floor? What scent of old wood hovers, what softened
sound from outside fills the air?

Will you ever bring a better gift for the world than the breathing respect that you carry wherever you go right now? Are you waiting for time to show you some better thoughts

When you turn around, starting here, lift this new glimpse that you found; carry into evening all that you want from this day. This interval you spent
reading or hearing this, keep it for life.

What can anyone give you greater than now, starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?

One girl wrote this response:

Our Time Together

Starting here, what do you want to remember?
How the bell rang each morning?
What smile you had as each of us walked through the door?
What made me smile on the darkest of days?

Will you ever teach again,
getting to see the sweet, soft smiles we had as summer came along?
Are you waiting silently for one of us to make a blasphemous retort?

When and if you return, starting here,
we will all have matured and left the nest with our wings out and ready for take off. The times you were reading out loud to where everyone could hear you...
that’s what I hold dearly.

Will you cry when you leave us?
I know I will.

Lexi

(Pops, you’re the GOAT...Greatest Of All Time)

And yes, I cried at reading this. Sorry for the long text on this one.