Category Archives: Poetry

Trough by Judy Brown

Posted on May 27, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I spent the past few days examining where I am in my life’s calling as a teacher. I was in a trough for a while and it is nice to start climbing out and see the horizon over the edge of the waves. Personal vision formed around and by named values is essential to fulfillment. I am grateful I had people listen and wait for me to speak. The trough is a quiet place and I was able to gather my thoughts, reflect, and regain some passion through their patience and kindness.

There is a trough in waves,

a low spot

where horizon disappears

and only sky

and water are your company.

And there we lose our way

unless

we rest, knowing the wave will bring us

to its crest again.

There we may drown

if we let fear

hold us within its grip and shake us

side to side,

and leave us flailing, torn, disoriented.

But if we rest there

in the trough,

in silence,

being with the low part of the wave,

keeping

our energy and

noticing the shape of things,

the flow,

then time alone

will bring us to another place

where we can see

horizon, see the land again,

regain our sense

of where

we are,

and where we need to swim.

Several months ago, I posted an entry called the Mindful Teacher. I suggested there was a need for added fuel for the fire that is my vocation and gives me voice through teaching and learning. Since then, I matured and realize the silence is the oxygen that also helps to breathe life into the fire. It serves as the wisdom, compassion, and prudence offsetting my passion. Without the space, the silence, I become a flickering flame burning out before my time.

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Posted in Education, Mindful Life, Poetry, Progressive Education, Reflective Moments and tagged Mindful Practice, mindfulness, poetry, Progressive Education, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I was driving to school this evening and David Francey, a wonderful Canadian singer, was on the I-Pod singing The Waking Hour. Kathy and I have attended several of his concerts. He has a wonderful line in that song: “The heart that’s breaking never makes a sound.” It resonated. I wrote poetry many years ago and, today, I found poetry anew.

Set the backpack down

The mountain is high

The peak obscured

The path terrifying

Share my load

Trust

Be right

Be true

Will they hear?

Without spoken words

Speak my truth

Invite

Carried alone

The backpack is too heavy

Lighten

Strengthen

Back straight,

Shoulders square,

Head held high.

Walk with me

Share my load

Posted in Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments, Synchronicity, Writing and tagged david francey, Mindful Practice, mindfulness, poetry, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment

Transformation in Daily Life

Posted on May 22, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

When Kathy and I were married we chose the Prayer of St. Francis as one of our readings in the ceremony that day. It remains an integral part, albeit sometimes overlooked, part of my daily life. St. Francis spoke in a transformational voice and as a change agent of his time. His message remains as important today as it when it was first presented.

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Posted in Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged love, Mindful Practice, mindfulness, prayer of st francis, spirituality, St. Francis. Bookmark the permalink.

The House Guest by Rumi

Posted on May 20, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I was going through my various accounts and Parker Palmer posted this on Facebook. After a challenging week, I read it and realized this was what my week had been like, very up and down. What do I say to those emotions which temporarily move in and shake my confidence? Or what do I say to those emotions which mislead me with their false promise of all things gold and glittery?

Thank you to Parker Palmer for this sharing.

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Posted in Education, Leadership, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged community, leadership, Parker Palmer, poetry, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

The Contract – A word to the led by William Ayot

Posted on May 12, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

And in the end we follow them-

not because we are paid, not because we might see some advantage,

not because of the things they have accomplished,

not even because of the dreams they dream

but simply because of who they are:

the man, the woman, the leader, the boss

standing up there when the wave hits the rock,

passing out faith and confidence like life jackets,

knowing the currents, holding the doubts,

imagining the delights and terrors of every landfall;

captain, pirate, and parent by turns,

the bearer of our countless hopes and expectations.

We give them our trust. We give them our effort.

What we ask in return is that they stay true.

With leaders who are at times pirates, we can colour outside the lines and think outside the box. Organizations, institutions, and communities want leadership. Exploration of past times included pirates who navigated new and treacherous waters and helped find new nautical paths past the visible horizons. Yesterday, someone told me a recent comment I made about a need to name school and community values was received with openness and yet I felt that openness was not reflected by the group. Leadership is speaking one’s truth while honouring truths of others. It is a respectful rather than ‘relativism gone wild.’ What can each voice add to the conversation? It is lonely and dangerous being a pirate without others helping in the navigating.

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Posted in Community, Education, Leadership, Poetry, Progressive Education and tagged community, eloquent questions, leadership, poetry, Progressive Education, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

For All the Children

Posted on May 12, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

Learning, school, education, or life lived; whatever we choose to call the enterprise it is important we live the words of Gary Snyder.

The rising hills, the slopes,

of statistics

lie before us.

the steep climb

of everything, going up,

up, as we all

go down.

In the next century

or the one beyond that,

they say,

are valleys, pastures,

we can meet there in peace

if we make it.

To climb these coming crests

one word to you, to

you and your children:

stay together

learn the flowers

go light

The line which draws my eye and means so much to me, as a teacher and learner, is the one about statistics. Each year, I spend time with the Grade 9 class discussing the average student and the potential absurdity of the concept. Students realize there might, in fact, not be such a person. It might only be the ‘mean of the average.’ In our classroom, is a poster of Einstein. Several years ago, a student asked who the person in the poster was and I answered by saying it was my Dad. I do resemble him, or like to think I do, with the wild hair and idiosyncrasies. We refer to Einstein as Mr. P.’s Dad. His quotes are a marvel and the one I feel fits with the Gary Snyder poem is:

We must take care and insure the stories of each person who lives life is fully heard. We are not numbers. We are the stories come to life. We should always ask, “What makes the number relevant?”