I got away from writing poetry, but I felt it nibbling at the corners of that part of me throughout this hectic summer. As I get ready for the next part of the doctoral journey, I spent more time writing purpose statements, editing them, and edging closer to something workable. With a full course load in September, I know my schedule will look different. Something I need daily is silence and pauses where things percolate academically and creatively. I got back to my yoga mat more this last week or two and I feel good with the silence that I find in those moments. It is another meditative space where wisdom comes calling.
Rush,
Seek blindly
Grasp and cling.
Be present—
Pause—
Receive each moment’s gift.
Gently wrapped—
A bow in place—
Wisdom concealed.
In spacious silence—
A wordless symphony—
Plays serene melody.
Unrecognized tailor—
Silence stitches—
Weaves life whole.
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 
A lovely poem that was calming to read, not unlike The Tao. Thank you. Paulette p.s. good luck with your doctorate studies.
Thank you Paulette, I was in a kind of Zen and Tao space yesterday.
This is lovely, Ivon.
Thank you Yaz.
It’s lovely poem, Ivon, and i’d love to “Receive each moment’s gift.” instead of rushing…
Thank you for the comment.
I love “gently wrapped, – a bow in place” . May you find many such moments in your
busy schedule.
Thank you Pam.
Lovely poem, Ivon. It’s been long I didn’t visit your blog.I missed your touching words a lot. Best wishes.
Thank you for returning.
Wonderful poem Ivon! I read it several times and got new insights each time. Taking the time to gently calm down is important and pays back manifold in renewed energy.
Thank you. I agree with your wise commentary.
Wow ~ utterly peacefilled and beautiful. You are so gifted.
Thank you for the kind comment.
Excellent poem.
If there is no stillness,
there is no silence.
If there is no silence,
there is no insight.
If there is no insight,
there is no clarity.
Thank you Lvsrao.
“Silence stitches”… Im always amazed how other minds have so much imagination.