For all those starting anew: "The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps–we must step up the stairs." ~Vance Havner
Our lives hold numerous thresholds; from youngest to oldest, starting can be exciting, daunting, happy, and sad. This time, I'm thinking of schoolchildren who wonder so much before that first day. Do you imagine the first day's morning?
I am not a great artist but I do like trying to sketch once in a while, thus my attempt from my imagination about that first day with all ages beginning again! Enjoy your Friday and the weekend!
Tick-Tock
See the afterglow
on students’ faces,
sunshine souvenir
from the neighborhood pool.
So long silly races with
splashy-ends,
relentless fun,
their vacation run.
Hear the sighs
as they keep the swing-along,
goodbyes up the stairs
to summery songs.
Open doors await
to enter and then
they hop the threshold
to begin again.
Linda Baie ©
31 comments:
Hooray! It's almost Friday and time for poetry. What a great sketch--I love to sketch too. But, recognizing anything I sketch is pretty tough. I've been with students for two weeks now. Oh, my are they pooped! But, it's a long weekend and I know some will be in the sun. Might see some of that after glow next week. Have a great time with poetry this weekend! I love the yellow aspen leaves from CO.
Thanks, Linda. My granddaughters were with me after school Tuesday, their 2nd week. They said they were tired, too, but the youngest (5th) was disappointed that after-school things hadn't started yet. Both want to get going with stuff now that it's started. A three-day weekend will offer a boost! Have a nice one yourself, too!
Hooray for September. I laughed out loud that we both used the word welcome in our blog titles this week, and to see we are marking quite different seasons, but both with yellow. I love the way the world works. And I love Poetry Friday which I have been neglecting far too much.
Yes! We're both welcoming color but in a different way, right? Nice to see you here for sure, Sally!
Lovely endings and beginnings poem Linda, I wrote one about endings and beginnings too–yours has a lovely lilting rhythm! What a fun drawing oozing with character and personality touché. Thanks for the golden leaves ushering us into almost fall and for hosting!
Hi Linda! Happy Return to School Week! Thanks for hosting! I love your poem, especially these lines, "sunshine souvenir from the neighborhood pool." I saw a young girl swinging on Monday in her yard. It's something you don't see a lot anymore. A nice sight. An end of summer swing. Thanks for welcoming fall for us! ~ Carol ~ At The Apples in My Orchard.
Linda, happy September to you, and here's to a lovely autumn full of color.
There are so many wonderful phrases in your poem, (and the /s/ sounds) I love these:
sunshine souvenir
splashy-ends
swing-along
summery songs
Thanks for hosting today. And good for you for sketching what is in your imagination! I love your staircase image.
Thank you, Michelle. It was a fun post to write as I thought of my own grandchildren and then children in the neighborhood all starting, walking by in the early morn, plus, I am really ready for fall!
Thanks, Carol, no, not too many individual swings anymore, mostly in the parks. I like your "end of summer swing".
Thank you, Denise. I enjoyed the writing and the sketching, takes me "away" from everything else. Happy Friday!
Linda, if you can believe this, Sierra started Kindergarten and she is on the threshold of a new experience. Thank you for hosting Poetry Friday and writing about the transition from summer to fall. The sketch goes well with the sketch. May our grandgirls enjoy the new school year.
I will have my post in tomorrow. It was my son's birthday today so we spent most of the day away from a computer.
Happy September and beginning of school! Thanks for hosting!
Thanks for hosting with your end of summer blues. I think a teacher always feels it, even in retirement. The shift, the apprehension. We've been going for a few weeks now and are settling into a routine.
Linda, what a great sketch! My sketches are fabulous in my mind...not so much on paper! lol I so enjoyed your poem about time passing, doors opening, stairs to mount, etc. Perfect for the season. I also love the phrase "sunshine souvenir"! Thanks so much for hosting this week. Wishing you a wonderful September!
Dear Linda, how much do I love your sketch?! Thank you! I am taking a drawing class right now, so learning A LOT about being brave on the page (in different ways than my usual! :) I love seeing that "sunshine souvenir" on others as well...thank you for hosting! xo
Aww, Linda--the lyrical swing of your poem, built on the stairs of your quote, is so free and charming we can almost imagine that the beginning is as inspiring as the ending it requires. I absolutely love "sunshine souvenir/from the neighborhood pool." Happy September to you!
Lots to celebrate, Carol. Time does fly. It's hard to believe Sierra is in kindergarten!
You're welcome, Marcie. Have a great weekend!
You're right, the anticipation at this time of year remains with me. Hope you're having a great start, Margaret.
Thank you! Oh, what's in the mind is different from on the page, exactly, Molly!
I love that you're taking the class, Irene. I have in the past & enjoyed it very much. Thanks!
Thanks, Heidi. September fills up with much to love, I think.
Thanks for hosting today, Linda. Yes, hard to believe it's September! Terrific "Tick-Tock" poem. I especially love the "sunshine souvenir."
Happy September, Linda. Such a nice poem about the beginning of school. I love the idea of the kiddos hopping the threshold. I can picture them! Thanks for hosting the roundup today.
Thanks, Carmela and Susan. I'm happy to see you here as we say hello to September!
Sweet poem and picture, Linda. The thing about thresholds is that you can't see what will happen after you step through...it's a leap of faith. (Like what you said about staring up the steps vs stepping up the stairs. Sometimes staring won't do you any good!) Thanks for hosting!
Thanks, Tabatha, those are wise words. People, including students, take that step at times with trepidation, but do it. I admire them always.
I think the transition from summer to fall is my favorite. So much happening between nature and nurture, especially for teachers! Thank you for hosting this week!
oops! hit enter before I changed to show my name! Above is me!
Linda, thank you for this quote.
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