Last night, I read, more like re-read, the first two chapters of Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer. I find it so interesting to read something for a second, third, or fourth time. I always discover something new in the process. It might only be a word, a sentence, a turn of phrase, but it provides new insight. As I read last night, it was no different. Parker included this poem by William Stafford. I had to read several times, because the words are not in perfect order, but life is not either.
Parker Palmer is on Facebook and I follow him. Today, he posted a July 4th tribute with Leonard Cohen performing Democracy on Youtube. The link is Parker Palmer for those interested.
I am in Spokane and somewhat settled in. As I struggle a bit with making sense of my dissertation topic, this poem makes perfect sense. It is precise and piercing in its questions and somewhat disquieting. In those moments of perturbation, life makes more sense and I learn.
Sometimes when the river is ice ask me
mistakes I have made. Ask me whether
what I have done is my life. Others
have come in their slow way into
my thought, and some have tried to help
or to hurt: ask me what difference their strongest love or hate has made.
I will listen to what you say
You and I can turn and look
at the silent river and wait. We know
is there, hidden; and there
are comings and goings from miles away
that hold the stillness exactly before us.
What the river says, that is what I say.
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 
Nice, reflective piece. Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you Tony and you are welcome.
It’s beautiful Ivon. I trust all will be exactly as it must in regards to your dissertation.
I too love to re-read books, and like you always get something more and different each time.
Glad you’re feeling settled.
Sheri
It is already morphing into something that I can follow. Thank you Sheri.
Thank you – my best wishes for the work ahead. Expect a transformation.
You are welcome and tank you. There will be one.
What the river says, that is what I say – I like that line a lot, and the opening idea of it being ice.
The river always has a different message each passing moment.
“In these moments of perturbation, life makes more sense, and I learn”..Your words carried me to a place of truth.
I am glad that they were helpful.
I needed that right now! Thank you so much for posting this. You have no idea how much those words spoke to me today.
You are welcome.
Ivon – I received an email from Ivon which he would like me to send to you, but I don’t have your email address..
ehd1@shaw.ca will work.
Ivon,
Congratulations, I have nominated you for an award – see:
http://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2013/07/06/ive-received-the-liebster-award/
Thank you. I am honoured.
You deserve it 🙂