#MayPoems – Dare to Care

Slice of Life – I’m Just Very Fearful

02/May/202302/May/2023 Denise Krebs22 Comments

“I’m just very fearful,” the white woman said at a school board meeting. (See video at the end.)

Actually, I’m not very fearful. My white privilege has put me in a position where I don’t have to fear living in my skin. I have two amazing daughters who have their own families now. And, bonus: this week my younger daughter and her dear husband are working from our home. Their offices have been moving around our place based on several factors–whether or not they are in a meeting, which porch has the perfect sunniness, where the wind shelters them, and today they’ve moved indoors because of the cold morning.

I get to spoil my cubs with good cooking like this morning’s breakfast of Lemon-Blueberry Dutch Baby.

On a more serious note, “I’m just very fearful” about the people who are so afraid of losing their position of white supremacy that they are killing others.

I remember when my kids were little there was a report, likely after a census, that predicted when the number of non-white people in America would surpass the number of white people. It was going to be by the year 20?? (I forget). It hasn’t happened yet, but lately I have noticed the impending change has cemented the culture of “white supremacy,” proving it is alive and sick in America. The fear that white supremacy might come undone seems to feed the ubiquitous gun culture too. This fear has gripped the lives of so many that now they are shooting neighbors and innocent travelers, not just nefarious intruders. Racism, white supremacy, religious fundamentalism, the history of the second amendment, and guns–they are all eternally entwined.

The following poem is written in the voice of a member of Moms for Liberty. (Watch the video below in Kenny Akers’ tweet. The quote “I’m just very fearful” comes from her statement at the school board meeting.

I’m just very fearful
Impossible to be cheerful
Replacement makes me tearful

I’m just very fearful
My white children will feel too awful
if you tell them their history is bad-full

I’m just very fearful
Do I worry he will grow up to pull
the trigger? — I’m just very fearful

Mom's of Liberty on school board tried to explain to the NAACP why she disagreed with diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is why I bring awareness! ✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/aGEtEBWH9z

— Kenny Akers (@KeneAkers) April 30, 2023

A Tritina

31/May/202131/May/2021 Denise Krebs

I learned about a tritina poetry form on Friday from Liz Garton Scanlon’s Poetry Friday post. I tried it on this last day of May for my final #MayPoems.

Bread Fed Us

Satisfied with warm bread
Baked freshly we are fed
Nourishes and keeps us

Second manna for us
God’s Word, the daily bread
With Good News we are fed

How many folks are fed?
Blessed feast for all of us
Spread fish and loaves of bread

Bread of Life has fed us

An Ovillejo Poem About the Pandemic

30/May/202130/May/2021 Denise Krebs4 Comments

Today I wrote an Ovillejo poem about the pandemic, as our numbers here is Bahrain are skyrocketing and strict new bans and lockdowns began this weekend.

Case numbers have escalated
Hope deflated
Businesses and malls are all closed
So exposed
Vaccination sites ramping up
Don’t let up
Immunity rate speeding up
Battling new variants, a quest
From the hands of cold death to wrest
Hope deflated, so exposed. Don’t let up!

A Triolet

29/May/202129/May/2021 Denise Krebs8 Comments

This triolet is inspired by Buffy Silverman, who wrote one about the periodic cicadas for Poetry Friday. A triolet is an eight-line poem with ABaAabAB pattern.

Help Going Deep

In order to become complete
I must be seen deep in the Truth
Fear and sorrow attempt to greet
In order to become complete
Appearance on the mercy seat
Rendering my past snafus soothed
In order to become complete
I must be seen deep in the Truth

Carrying Home and #MayPoems for Poetry Friday

28/May/202110/Jun/2021 Denise Krebs22 Comments

Things We Carry on the Sea
By Wang Ping

We carry tears in our eyes: good-bye father, good-bye mother

We carry soil in small bags: may home never fade in our hearts

We carry names, stories, memories of our villages, fields, boats

We carry scars from proxy wars of greed

continue…

I have never had to carry things as heavy as Ping describes here, things which refugees throughout history and today have to bear. This poem is heartbreaking and inspires empathy, and hopefully it will inspire me to take action. Please read the rest of her words, along with a lesson plan to teach it, at Poets.org: Teach This Poem: “Things We Carry on the Sea”.

We will be carrying some things home when we leave Bahrain, but chances are good because of our privilege we will fly in a jet across the ocean with a few suitcases of our special possessions to bring home. My May Poem for today is about my present and future homes inspired by Michelle Kogan. I love the words she creates and chooses, as she did on this post (rose-tipped and gypsy-stemmed), this post (cone-wove and beak-fluff), this post (ginger-spice-edged) and this comment (flicker-orange and tee-root). And on today’s post (poppiness and banana boats and strawberry spice). Such sweet words!

Because of Michelle, I wanted to try words with hyphens and also paint my own picture for today. I drew and painted a Kingdom of Bahrain door leading to my “magical” place inspired by the guided imagery on this episode of Art Date with Miss Kate.

When drawing with Kate, I thought of our home in Joshua Tree, California, where we will hopefully move at the end of 2021. Here is my painting and related poem. (I’m not sure if mine is considered an ekphrastic poem because I didn’t really describe the painting, but it surely inspired my words.)

Into the Door

The here-to-there Door
Where we will say our
Teary-faced, hug-full
Ma Salama مع السلامه
To two-Waters warmth,
Our hospitable Haven,
Uncovering our
Marhaba مرحبا
To sweet-hope Home
Wide open to where
Whispers-from-God Joshuas
Point to Life-drenched Promise

I decided on May 1 to write some #MayPoems, not knowing if I would do it for three days or further into the month. Well, so far I have written and posted each day in May with a different prompt, inspiration, or a response to some treasure I found while reading or observing. This Poetry Friday community has encouraged me and provided nourishment as you have read and commented on some of my May Poems. Thank you.

Here are each day’s posts in one index:

May 1 – Missing #Verselove Already inspired by Kevin Hodgson
May 2 – Bahrain, Land of Peace inspired by Dan Zev Levinson
May 3 – When the Sun Falls Down inspired by Margaret Simon
May 4 – Tic Tac Toe inspired by Poet t.l.sanders
May 5 – Tornado Talking inspired by Patrice Vecchione
May 6 – Tricube inspired by Matt Forrest Esenwine
May 7 – Imagination on Poetry Friday inspired by Bridget Magee
May 8 – Concrete Poem, Tea Pot Spot inspired again by Bridget Magee
May 9 – Magical Magicicada inspired by Shirley McPhillips
May 10 – Imagine a World inspired by Carmen Ridley and The Isolation Journals
May 11 – 4 x 4 Poem inspired by Quatern and Tricube
May 12 – Will-o’-the-Wisp prose poem inspired by H.K. Hummel and Margaret Simon’s photo
May 13 – Redemption inspired by Sonia Jaffe Robbins
May 14 – The ABC’s of Poetry Power inspired by Irene Latham
May 15 – Government “Handouts” inspired by the news
May 16 – My Daughter Maria inspired by Janice Scully
May 17 – My Daughter Katie inspired by Donnetta Norris
May 18 – Flamboyant Tree inspired by a walk at the mall and other Slices of my Life
May 19 – This Photo Wants to Be a Poem inspired by Margaret Simon
May 20 – Happy Anniversary inspired by Katie and Thomas’ fourth anniversary
May 21 – Poetry Friday inspired by Christie Wyman
May 22 – Feet inspired by Susan Ahlbrand’s April poetry prompt and a photo of my family before I was born
May 23 – Two Simple Poetry Prompts inspired by Holly Lyn Walrath
May 24 – November 22, 1963 inspired by Kathleen Neagle Sokolowski.
May 25 – Tiny Slivers Timeline inspired by small slices of my life
May 26 – This Photo Wants to Be a Poem inspired by Margaret Simon and Hope Dublin
May 27 – Remember What it Was to be Me inspired by Joan Didion
May 28 – Poetry Friday and this #MayPoems Index inspired by Michelle Kogan
May 29 – A Triolet inspired by Buffy Silverman
May 30 – An Ovillejo inspired by the out-of-control pandemic in Bahrain
May 31 – A Tritina inspired by Liz Garton Scanlon

Today’s Poetry Friday roundup is hosted by Michelle Kogan at her blog. Happy birthday and thank you, Michelle!

Desert scene in California with Joshua trees — Our backyard

Remember What it Was to be Me

27/May/202126/May/2021 Denise Krebs

Journeying

The inspiration for today’s poem is from a quote in the Isolation Journals Prompt #121 (from last December). Of her reason for keeping a notebook, Joan Didion writes, “Remember what it was to be me: that is always the point.”

Anger Cloud

I remember when I was so angry
I saw only darkness–
the light emptied from my eyes.
I refused to back out of an argument;
I had to win it.
Fear had deep roots in me
and it spoke with the voice of
backed-into-a-corner rage.

But then Love knocked
on my door.
It seized me softly,
cradled me solidly,
and held my fear-turned-anger
in the palm of its hand–
a little bit away from me–
so I could get a
different perspective.
Then it blew it gently
into the good wind
and gave me instead
Life.

“Breathe deeply,” Love said.
“I know. I’m here.”

Today’s Poem of a Photo

26/May/202126/May/2021 Denise Krebs2 Comments

Today’s inspiration came from Margaret Simon’s “This Photo Wants to Be A Poem.” Margaret shared this Instagram photo by Hope Dublin:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @hopesview2021

Our final rest is
elsewhere, but
among the dandelions
and wanderers
you are welcome,
where lichen
makes its home
on our headstones.
Sit here with them a while.
Read your magic, but also
study their history.
Listen to their hush.
They have stories to tell.

Tiny Slivers Timeline

25/May/202131/Jul/2021 Denise Krebs14 Comments

Slice of Life on TwoWritingTeachers.org 25 May 2021

Here are a few slivers of my life on Monday in a variety of zappai, septercets, and hay(na)ku.

Tiny Slivers Timeline
A.M.

6:10
up and doom scrolling
unusual for me these days
too early for this

6:30
enjoyed tea, which my
husband prepared, sat with him
while he ate breakfast

6:55
gave
my husband
a buzz haircut

7:10
watched
the news
too much pain

7:30
Rush to the shower
Oops! Class starts soon! Made it! It’s
7:45

8:25
Made oatmeal on stove
Added mashed banana and
Splashed with almond milk

8:40
Spy the ignored dough I thawed
this morning, I baked cookies
for Keith to deliver soon

9:27
Log in to a Zoom meeting
Shared concepts for a farewell
party for our principal

9:54
Finished the meeting
so I came to start this post
Wrote in #MayPoems

10:40
Duolingo–
used up
all my hearts

11:08
Sliced
ripe peaches
to save them

P.M.

12:03
Leftover
pasta and
peaches for lunch

1:30
Phonics
Think Tank
Report to coordinators

3:00
Nap
with hubby
and everything nice

4:03
Teach
Meet with
many MENA teachers

5:20
More
leftovers for
dinner, cook tomorrow

5:40
Painting
and drawing
for poetry inspiration

6:13
Happy call from Poland, but
Alex learns of Bahrain’s new
Ban, Covid numbers. Can’t come.

7:00
Zoom Bible study
Bent woman made whole and straight
Jesus delighted

8:55
Call
to console
a grieving friend

9:30
Time
to read
awhile before bed

9:32
“Have you seen Glitter Bomber?”
My husband asked. “Mark Roper’s
stopping porch pirates.” We binged.

10:17
Okay
That’s enough
Time for bed

Case numbers have escalated Hope deflated Businesses and malls are all closed So exposed Vaccination sites ramping up Don’t let up Immunity rate speeding up Battling new variants, a quest From the hands of cold death to wrest Hope deflated, so exposed. Don’t let up!

Things We Carry on the Sea By Wang Ping