Conference Week
A bounty of PTA-donated
tempting treats
fills baskets and bowls
in the Teacher’s Room.
I pick a pack of Teddy Grahams.
Back in my classroom,
I relish biting off the heads
of each cheerful little bear.
Molly Hogan ©2019
Ok, I actually do enjoy conferences, but I truly do not enjoy the week of planning, teaching and late nights of conferencing combined. What a week! With so many late nights, I’ve fallen a bit behind on #Poemtober, but here are a few of my recent efforts.
Ash
After the volcano
of his rage,
she picks her way
through the ash,
wary of embers
eager to ignite
a new
conflagration.
Molly Hogan ©2019
Legend
Legend tells
of a teacher
who discovered the secret
of balancing
work and home
and kept it.
I don’t believe it.
©Molly Hogan, 2019
And I revisited the prompt “build” to pair with my daughter’s illustration:
#Inktober sketch by Adeline Schneider
Build
Let’s build a tower
above the sea
high, in the sky,
an eagle’s aerie.
We’ll live each day,
wild and free,
whilst unheeded, the surf
works her treachery.
©Molly Hogan, 2019
Oh, my! These are cheerful, aren’t they? lol
This week’s Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by Karen Edmisten. Stop by to check out all the poetry goodness.
Nix the comfort zone 
Molly, your conference week poem is so funny-biting off the teddys’ heads (LOL). I am so glad that you shared your Inktober poetry because there are so many flying by that I can never find my poetry friends’ offerings. I have to say, “Legend,” is quite clever and believable. Finding balance is always a problem for me as an educator. if your daughter would like to add her drawing with your poem to #AbundantAutumn, please send it to the Twitter hashtag.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Conference week…now a memory! Woohoo! I haven’t been sharing my Inktober/Poemtober efforts on Twitter for the most part, Carol, so they’re definitely hard to find! lol I’ll talk with my daughter and get back to you about #AbundantAutumn–thanks for the offer!
LikeLike
Your homework, Molly, is to write a poetry collection about your experience as a teacher. Make sure “Conference Week” and “Legend” are both included. I love how honest and “familiar” these poems are, even to those of us who don’t teach. I know it would sell!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now that’s a FUN homework assignment!
LikeLike
Hi Molly! You seem to be achieving an impressive balance as far as I can tell…maybe those stress-relieving graham cracker bears are helping 🙂
I especially like the imagery of “Ash.”
Your daughter’s illustration is cool!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Tabatha! When I got home from school yesterday, my husband expressed concern that some people might think he was the inspiration for “Ash.” He wants me to add a disclaimer.
LikeLike
I love that you responded to your daughter’s sketch with a poem. What did she think? I get surprised when my kids like my poetry.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m actually not sure if she’s read it yet, though she does read my blog. I’ll have to check in with her.
LikeLike
Beautiful!
“I relish biting off the heads
of each cheerful little bear.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you liked it! (And glad that conference week is over!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
These poems are brilliant. I’m impressed you actually found time to craft these in the middle of such a hectic week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! Poetry writing provided some pockets of sanity during the week 🙂
LikeLike
God bless all teachers during conference week. Love your poems.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! Conference week presents many challenges and many rewards 🙂
LikeLike
Your Teddy Grahams poem made me snort! It’s a love-hate couple of weeks with all the extra work piled on, but chatting with every parent (minus the three who stood me up) makes such a difference.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love-hate is right! We do it all in one intense week. I do enjoy the actual conferences and am always fascinated by watching students interact with their parents. I’m so sorry you were stood up 3 times–that’s the worst! (Oh–and did I ever tell you that I went to college in your neck of the woods?)
LikeLike
Your infection has produced some goodly feverish writing. Conferences are VERY tiring and very productive, as ML says. Enjoy some higher-*uality treats now that you’re done…I like LEGEND for it’s trailing opening and punchy ending.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m recuperating this weekend 🙂
LikeLike
Conferences do make for long days and a long week. I love your teddy grahams poem–it made me laugh as did legend. I never could find that balance while I was teaching.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think balance is like the holy grail of teaching—we’re always searching for it!
LikeLike
Molly: I remember those days and am relieved to be retired from that fierce schedule. We love it and suffer from it at the same time. I guess you can call that a labor of love. Blessings to you and all teachers and poets… and thanks for sharing! Please visit me at https://kceastlund.blogspot.com
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Fierce schedule” is right! That’s a great description. It is a labor of love though and there are so many rewards 🙂
LikeLike
Oh, these are wonderful, Molly. They make me look back on my teaching years with all kinds of mixed feelings – including appreciation. So much good stuff came from those years – and some of the best was when I was stretched to the max and coming unravelled. Hoping this week is AWESOME in all ways!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lucky you to be productive when unravelling! 🙂
LikeLike
You had me giggling at those headless Teddy Grahams!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such innocent victims! lol
LikeLike
I am so impressed at your ability to write so many poems during conference week! The edge to your humor in “Conference Week” and “Legend” has the ring of truth, and I love your response to Adeline’s sketch.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Catherine! I thought of you when I struggled with spelling aerie!
LikeLike