March 2026 SOLC–Day 6
A huge thank you to Two Writing Teachers for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
http://www.twowritingteachers.org
Today’s post serves as a Poetry Friday post as well!
I’m lucky enough to have a writing group that I’ve been meeting with for years now. It’s a consistent bright spot in my world! In addition to bimonthly Zoom meetings, each month one of us poses a challenge, and then we all share our responses on the first Poetry Friday of the month. This month’s Inkling challenge was from Margaret Simon who asked us to write a poem using the word “becoming”. She referenced a Jacqueline Woodson poem, but I honestly never managed to even click on that link. I toyed around with a couple of ideas related to becoming, and then remembered a poem I’d written earlier this year that had been searching for a title. It seems like it found it!
On Becoming Wonder Woman*
Wonder Woman donned her metal cuffs
to protect her as she entered the fray,
to deflect harmful projectiles,
making her both stylish and
impervious.
Today, I put on my flower earrings,
my fragile plastic optimism
on full display.
Then I head into the classroom
hoping to emerge,
if not victorious,
at least
with some bloom
intact.
©Molly Hogan
*Disclaimer–I am in NO way implying that I am Wonder Woman. I wrote this poem after a morning when I deliberately chose to wear these earrings feeling like I needed every optimistic vibe I could scrounge up. These earrings are like a little dose of happy, and because my brain works in mysterious ways, it reminded me of Wonder Woman donning her magic cuffs. Apparently earrings are my battle armor of choice!
To see what the other Inklings did with this prompt, click on the links below:
Mary Lee @ A(nother) Year of Reading
Linda @A Word Edgewise
Margaret @Reflections on the Teche
Heidi @my juicy little universe
Catherine @ Reading to the Core
This week’s Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by Karen Edmisten at her blog. Stop by to enjoy some poetry goodness!
Nix the comfort zone 
The armour of optimism is powerful, if not necessarily making one impervious. I do like the goal of emerging with some bloom intact. I imagine you did.
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Love this dose of happy. We are all wonder women, just by being ourselves. Here’s to the power of yellow.
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I love the idea of a positive armor and you leaving with some bloom intact. You ARE a Wonder Woman!
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Oh, you nailed it! How perfect this title is now. I love the positive vibes and energy I get from writing alongside you, Molly. It’s one of the treasures of my life.
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[…] Lee @ A(nother) Year of ReadingLinda @A Word EdgewiseMolly @Nix the Comfort ZoneHeidi @my juicy little universeCatherine @ Reading to the […]
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I’m so happy that the prompt gave you this awesome title! You Are Wonder Woman facing a troop of 2nd graders every day. I am teaching little ones today. I think I need a blooming set of earrings to wear.
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You ARE Wonder Woman! I love the earrings. (I like big earrings when I’m on zoom!) xo
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No disclaimer needed, Molly! We know what it means to have someone inspiring you, giving you a bit of a protective shield 🙂 Do you know the “come in the room” teacher on YouTube? Mr. Holmes. He makes lists of things his 2nd and 3rd graders have said. Hoo boy!
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What a clever poem. So much to like about it, especially the word, “impervious,” and the end, “at least with some bloom intact.” They are some earrings…sure to perk up any day. Great job!
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I remember my daughter, years ago, asking if the new fashion of boys getting earrings was their chance to add some spark they felt was needed. Now, you’re writing with your own armor, earrings for the strength to carry on! I love the striving “for some bloom intact”!
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Cheers for flower power! It’s your attitude that sets the feeling in a class & I’m feeling that day students flowered in their efforts. As an aside, I have a swinging neon yellow petal flower bauble earrings [ I feel that are that old collectible plastic that I can’t name at the moment] that elicit smiles if I wear them. BRAVA for wearing sunshine & for creating this spirited poem, which I luv.
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What a wonderful poem, Molly! You captured the strength needed to face a classroom of littles every day! And I love the earrings, too!
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Goes right to my heart! Poetry of vulnerability!
Today, I put on my flower earrings,
my fragile plastic optimism
on full display.
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I’m going to take issue with your disclaimer and say that you are, indeed Wonder Woman, as is every teacher (Wonder Women and Wonder Men.) 🙂 My husband was a teacher, I was a homeschooling teacher, and both types of classroom demand, at least on some days, everything of us.
So, yes, don the flower earrings, write the poetry (love this one!) but claim the title too! 🙂
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Today, I put on my flower earrings,
my fragile plastic optimism
on full display.
My favorite lines–and those earrings are amazing! And I think it’s fair to claim a wonder woman title now and then. This work is not for the weak!
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