LJ Idol Mini Season Week 5: Pupa

[eeyore_grrl]

If you would like to vote for this or any of the other fine entries go here: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/883570.html


The other day my son's school had a Shelter-In-Place due to a person brandishing a weapon nearby. I have dealt with these before, but as a teacher, NOT a parent. I am much more calm and collected when I am in charge of students in such a situation. As for the jackass that kidnapped his girlfriend at gunpoint - I am very glad he was caught and, as far as I know, no one got physically hurt in this incident, but I have choice words for him. As a parent.

Below are two videos: 1: The poem I wrote for this week. 2: Dar William's song "Flinty Kinda Woman" which kept coming to mind when I was journalling, thinking, or writing about this. There is also the poem I wrote, in letters.

(For the record. I don't condone violence. Not violence towards the innocent or the guilty. But this song does speak to me. Having worked with so many people who have been hurt so badly, in so many ways, this song sometimes gets played very, very loudly in my house or in my head.)

              pupa		

we wait
stunted conversation
hot chamomile tea with honey in front of us
	hot enough to burn tongues
	just too hot to hold
		but we do

the police perimeter is fuzzy 	
	but i live nearby 
	i walk my son to school
	i pick him up on foot
	
       i don’t know if i should leave my house

she sits with me
	tear streaked face
	we try not to worry
	to be rational
	to know the odds of harm are slim

but

our children are five years old
five years innocent
	their hugs are tackles
	their worries do not involve	
		domestic disputes, kidnapping, and guns
	their knowledge should not have to  include 
		
		shelter
		    in 
		 place

	the suspect is in custody
	there is no longer a police perimeter

happy to see us and innocent they run to us
	allowed freedom
	allowed safety
	allowed to open their classroom curtains and see again
they are ready to go home
	we are ready to take them
	to wrap them in our arms
		keep them in this pupa stage
		between caterpillar and butterfly
		between innocent and worldly

i don’t want him to be naive
but i don’t want him to know about domestic disputes 
	and kidnapping at gunpoint
      i want his innocence to last just a little bit longer

butterflies are beautiful but only live for a month

can i keep him in this chrysalis
protect him from the world of anger and violence

we watch as their wings emerge

Comments

[adoptedwriter.livejournal.com]

Beautifully said! My kids are adults now.....but young adults...They are still learning...They are learning that "Adulting" is hard work in many ways. This piece reminds me of that.

AW

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

I am not a young adult and I still find adulting hard...

Thank you.

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

This is wonderfully breathtaking.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[watching-ships.livejournal.com]

Five years old is so young. I can't imagine. You did such a good job with this very tender subject.

And I love Dar Williams. Your the first person I've heard mention her in ages.

[metaphortunate.livejournal.com]

aaaaaaaaaah. Fucking terrifying.

[anonymousblack.livejournal.com]

♥

[ryl.livejournal.com]

What a lovely poem. I can't imagine going through something like that as a child or an adult.

[eternal-ot.livejournal.com]

Can understand the concern...well written!

[tijuanagringo.livejournal.com]

A beautiful poem written for a very difficult time. Superb work.

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

I felt for you, here. There are things we need our children to know for their physical safety, but emotionally... it would be SO much nicer to be able to wait. In this case, the world intruded too early, though your son seems to possibly not fully have understood what it all meant. That's good.

For our kids, the "Keep kids off drugs" lessons in Kindergarten were WAY too early for where we live, and inappropriate overall. I was bothered that they learned about Martin Luther King's assassination in Kindergarten. I think kids deserve a few more years of innocence before knowing that such things are possible, and knowing about the evil of people who do them.

Not forever. But geez, not Kindergarten either.

[murielle.livejournal.com]

A beautiful poem emerged from a very trying time.

I loved so many of the images in the poem. My favorite was this: "their hugs are tackles". They are, they are!

(Couldn't hear the song, but I really enjoyed your reading of the poem.)

[leni-ba.livejournal.com]

butterflies are beautiful but only live for a month

A beautiful description of a child's innocence. Good work, and a great way to work through your very understandable worries as a mother. Thanks for sharing!

[grail76.livejournal.com]

Adulting sucks.

[whipchick.livejournal.com]

What a horrifying experience! I hadn't known they call it "Shelter-in-Place" now, which is an interesting way to put it.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

http://www.bepreparedcalifornia.ca.gov/beprepared/schools/emergencies/pages/knowwhenandhowtoshelter-in-placeforschools.aspx

it is to keep us/the school safe, but just as much, or more, to keep the area clear so the police can do their job.

[dmousey.livejournal.com]

My heart goes out to you and all the mothers who go through this threat of violence everyday. Thanks for penning this, speaking and the great song! Peace~~~D

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

and fathers. and teachers.

we don't live in constant fear of violence where we live. this was a fluke.

thanks.

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

This really touched me. I don't often get a chance to listen to you read your poems, but I am very glad I did this time.

[prog-schlock.livejournal.com]

Oh holy cats that Dar Williams song is amazing.

I listened to your piece (because I'm an aural person) instead of reading it and I can't thank you enough for delivering. There's so much about the tone and emphasis choices you make performing it that communicates the heart of the piece more effectively than just reading it. I write that and will continue just writing for the time being, but your reading was excellent.

This made me think of this Chrissy Hynde classic:

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the compliments on my reading. I think poetry is aural as well as written/read. It's just how it is to me. I never really know how many people are listening to my videos. Thank you for doing so.