When I teach poetry, I always include ee cummings. I include him for several reasons. First, he was a pretty good poet. Second. junior high students worry too much about style and conventions. Third, he was a rebel and junior high students like rebels. Fourth, and I doubt it is last, he had something important to say like all good rebels.
I am not sure our schedule. We leave within the hour and will be on the road most of tomorrow. If I do not find my way back to the Internet, I wish you all a good New Year.
you shall above all things be glad and young.
For if you`re young, whatever life you wear
it will become you;and if you are glad
whatever`s living will yourself become.
Girlboys may nothing more than boygirls need;
i can entirely her only love
whose any mystery makes every man`s
flesh put space;and his mind take off time
that you should every think, may god forbid
and(in his mercy)your true lover spare:
for that way knowledge lies,the foetal grave
called progress,and negation`s dead undoom.
I’d rather learn from one bird how to sing
then teach ten thousand stars how not to dance.
About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope, nonviolence and its anticipatory relationship with the future, as essential elements to teaching and learning.
Academic publications can be found at Ivon Gile Prefontaine on ResearchGate
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
Amazing coincidence, I just read this poem today.
That is quite interesting. I find that many who I follow are on a similar wave length so it is not surprising.
I also like rebels! 🙂
We find them in interesting roles in life. That is what attracts me to them. They are not always the ones we expect.
ee cummings was a poet I had to study when I was taught at school.
I trust you enjoyed him? I always have, but I think it is the rebellious spirit and violation of grammar rules that attracted me to his work.
I’d rather learn from one bird how to sing
then teach ten thousand stars how not to dance.
a powerful statement… have a safe blessed trip enjoy the new year, see you when you return!!
I got back a little early, but will take a day off tomorrow to visit more with family. Enjoy your New Year and take care Len.
See you in 2013! Peace, Love and Joy!
I am back a little early. I found some Internet, but will take another day off tomorrow and visit more family.
Wonderful poem. Happy New Year to you also!
Thank you.
Beautiful Poem.
Lets welcome the year which is Fresh and New,
Lets Cherish each moment it beholds,
Lets celebrate this Blissful Year 2013…..
Wishing you a
Happy New Year
And a Great Year ahead !!
Thank you Lvsrao. Enjoy your New Year. May it bring all you wish for.
Best wishes for a happy new year.
I’m letting followers of my blog know that “Will Work for Food (and maybe dental)” is now “A Way With Words”. It can be found at the same URL. For the story of what inspired the name change, see –
Thank you Tony. I am going there right now. Take care.
“I’d rather learn from one bird…” And here I find myselt posting poems on my site, read by many, and turning around – visiting – and learning from many more, like a thousand stars in my firmament … Something quite wonderful in it all … Lovely post, Ivan.
Thank you Jamie.
I especially love the last two lines:
“I’d rather learn from one bird how to sing
then teach ten thousand stars how not to dance.”
Thank you for sharing this poem, Ivon.
Russ
You are welcome Russ. I don’t often think of ee cummings as a philosopher, but on this one he most certainly was.