Poem About Light

Poem About Light
by Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno

You can try to strangle light: 
use your hands and think 
you've found the throat of it, 
but you haven't.

You could use a rope or a garrote 
or a telephone cord, 
but the light, amorphous, implacable, 
will make a fool of you in the end. 
You could make it your mission 
to shut it out forever, 
to crouch in the dark, 
the blinds pulled tight—

still, in the morning, 
a gleaming little ray will betray you, 
poking its optimistic finger 
through a corner of the blind, 
and then more light, 
clever, nervy, impossible, 
spilling out from the crevices 
warming the shade.

This is the stubborn sun, 
choosing to rise, 
like it did yesterday, 
like it will tomorrow. 
You have nothing to do with it. 
The sun makes its own history; 
light has its way.

I love this poem. But I think it is much more than a poem. To me it is more of a prayer – just not to God. I believe this prayer is about God, not to God. I think of this poem as a prayerful open letter of defiance toward all that threatens our fragile lives – evil, injustice, depression, cancer.

Poem About Light speaks to me about God - the sun shining out from within each of us through our faith, love, and  hope. These are the light - “clever, nervy...warming the shade”. And indeed "the sun makes its own history, and light has its way".

Please hold onto the trust that many people are praying for you today.

My Favorite Teacher

Today is Teacher Appreciation Day in the US. So I bought an apple and placed it on the desk of my favorite teacher. And my choice of “favorite teacher” was an easy one.

Four days ago I was honored to witness my youngest daughter, K walk across the stage at Iowa State University to accept a diploma in recognition of her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education. And with all due bias, she became in that instant my favorite teacher. I couldn’t be more proud of her or more proud to have a daughter who has chosen to be an educator.

The keynote speaker for the graduation ceremony was Sarah Brown Wessling, a former Iowa State graduate and the 2010 National Teacher of the Year. She gave an inspiring address on conviction and what she termed “Constructive Failure”. She emphasized the importance of living with conviction in your beliefs and not allowing a fear of failure to stifle your ambitions. Follow your strengths and your heart as far as you dare. And dare far. She challenged the graduates and future educators to “Live a life that is more fearful of mediocrity than of failure.” - Amen!

To emphasize her points she read a poem by Taylor Mali entitled “Totally like whatever, you know?” Read below or click this video link.

And on this day for appreciating my favorite teacher, another Taylor Mali poem, “What Do Teachers Make” (video link) is also fitting.

Thanks K. I wish you knew just how much you've taught me.

Totally like whatever, you know?
- Taylor Mali

In case you hadn’t noticed,
it has somehow become uncool
to sound like you know what you’re talking about?
Or believe strongly in what you’re saying?
Invisible question marks and parenthetical (you know?)’s
have been attaching themselves to the ends of our sentences?
Even when those sentences aren’t, like, questions? You know?

Declarative sentences—so-­‐called
because they used to, like, DECLARE things to be true, okay,
as opposed to other things are, like, totally, you know, not—
have been infected by a totally hip
and tragically cool interrogative tone? You know?
Like, don’t think I’m uncool just because I’ve noticed this;
this is just like the word on the street, you know?
It’s like what I’ve heard?
I have nothing personally invested in my own opinions, okay?
I’m just inviting you to join me in my uncertainty?

What has happened to our conviction?
Where are the limbs out on which we once walked?
Have they been, like, chopped down
with the rest of the rain forest?
Or do we have, like, nothing to say?
Has society become so, like, totally . . .
I mean absolutely . . . You know?
That we’ve just gotten to the point where it’s just, like . . .
whatever!

And so actually our disarticulation . . . ness
is just a clever sort of . . . thing
to disguise the fact that we’ve become
the most aggressively inarticulate generation
to come along since . . .
you know, a long, long time ago!

I entreat you, I implore you, I exhort you,
I challenge you: To speak with conviction.

To say what you believe in a manner that bespeaks
the determination with which you believe it.
Because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker,
it is not enough these days to simply QUESTION AUTHORITY.
You have to speak with it, too.

Endeavor

Well, I’m a grandfather - really! I wonder when I’ll get used to that. Do you suppose that it is something you become spontaneously with a birthing? Or is it more something you grow into – gradually through parenthood? I suppose maybe both.

Grandfathers are older folks - way older than parents. They have a notable stature and a graying of hair. Grandfathers smell more of cologne than sweat and sit in more shade than sun. They move slower and remain calmer than other adults.

Grandfathers are very polite. They talk softly and speak kindly of grandmothers and parents. And they love their grandchildren all the same but each seems in their own way to be a favorite.  Grandfathers always laugh at jokes and smile a lot. Grandfathers are proud and seldom get angry. They see the good in bad, the joy in sadness and success in failure.

Grandfathers never tire of watching children and dogs and they like to share candy and eat ice cream. They share everything and like all of the same things as children. Grandfathers have plenty of patience. And they are thoughtful and wise. They are full of fun in busy times and have calming words in slower, sleepy times.

But mostly I think Grandfathers have time. They have time to give, time to share, time to wait and time to teach. Time is probably what I think grandfathers have the most of and I pray that much of it can be spent together.

I hope I can be remembered for living up to all that...as did my grandfather. It is to become a lifelong endeavor.

...and I hope that he's watching.
 

2012

 

1958

Awe

I’ve known this day would come for some time. And I’ve struggled with how best to express this post in thoughtful words. I’ve searched for words that could accurately express my hopes and dreams and busting pride upon the joyous birthing of our eldest daughters first born – Denise and my grandchild. But words pale and descriptions fall short. Even pictures could not convey this boundless pride. The event bends ones mortality.

And as I wrestle in utter silence with this speechlessness, another pride has shown itself. And it parallels the esteem with which I hold my new grandson. This other pride is in my daughter. And it’s actually not so much a mere pride per se. I’m immensely proud of all of my daughters. I could go on and on. But this is more of an awe. She has held her own against the forces of nature and faced down a most daunting challenge in the birth of this dear child.

And she has managed to put into words what I could not. Please take a minute to read the following two links. The expressions conveyed therein are beautiful and I could not be more proud as a father and as a grandfather. I'm so happy.

It's Game Time!

World Meet Boy

I’m doubly proud of you Jenna. I love you and Matthew. And I love your son, our grandson – Harrison.

Perfection is yours indeed.