Today I will
write a poem
about my second graders.
It will not be a lament for Wisconsin
It will not be an allusion
to another second grader calling 911.
But rather my second grader
Walking into our classroom to tell me about her sweater.
It had foxes and snow and little bits of glitter. She smiled from dimple to dimple about that sweater.
But rather about my second graders –
Two boys counting their STAR tickets quietly while we waited for them so we could do the Pledge
of Allegiance. (You know the one.)
But rather about my second graders
wearing hats made from roll paper as they performed
Snowflake Bently.
But rather about my second graders
giving me an early birthday gift of beautiful pages
they wrote and drew for me with crayons. Their words a beautiful combination of the spelling they have learned and the still perfect misspellings.
But rather about my second grader
standing on top of a pile of playground logs at recess, telling us
“From where I am, I see 7 snowmen being built!”
But rather about my second grader
looking over at the lollipops I was quickly sorting
“Boy that looks like fun,” he said.
If I weren’t doing this, I’d sure like to help you sort those.”
But rather about my second graders
gathered on the rug to hear a story,
lined up to go home,
saying goodbye with a hug, handshake or high-five.
But rather about my second graders.
The ones I spend my days with are amazing,
brilliant humans.
Little kids
who did not
yet
need to call 911 to report gunshots.
Thank you Clint Smith and your beautiful No More Elegies Today mentor poem.
On a Thought 
So glad you took time to write this, even if it made you late for work. So glad I took time to write today and then click on your link first so I could read this. Your lovely descriptions of your brilliant 2nd graders has me now quietly crying in Starbucks. I took today off to give my mom a ride to a funeral for her 93-year old friend. As I sit in church to remember her long life, I’ll be thinking of you and your words and your 2nd graders and all 2nd graders and 15-year olds and all living with gun violence. Tahnk you for writing and sharing. I’m glad I know you. I’m glad you are a teacher.
We all know that second graders should be joyful and full of life. The reality of having to call 911 is alarming. Thanks for the look into your classroom and the joys you bring to teaching.
This is gorgeous and haunting and sad and all the things. I have no words left for the madness in this gun-loving country. Ugh. I did, however, write a poem about yesterday. I’ve written many poems about mass shootings. i’m running out of ways to write about this uniquely American way of existing.
This is such a beautiful poem.
What a powerful piece. You put into words how I’ve been feeling these last couple of days. Thank you for taking the time to share how you are feeling, and how so many teachers (and others) are feeling about yet another school shooting. You said it better than I could have done. Thank you.