In Summer

Je sais vivre,

in summer.

I wake up slowly.

With no place to be,

no schedule to keep,

no plans to prep,

no decisions to make,

there is no need to hurry.

So I don’t.

I start my day leisurely.

After a new day greeting,

and the first stretches of the day,

I sip a cup of steaming hot coffee,

or a mug of gunpowder green tea.

Antoinette finds her zen on my lap

and we enjoy the peacefulness

of this morning ritual.

She naps for as long as she wants,

for as long as I want.

I am in no hurry, for

in summer,

je vis.

 

©Maribeth Batcho 2016

All Rights Reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sun

Mom, Frank and me at Le Bec Fin after Frank’s naturalization ceremony. January, 2013

 

 

“my mother
is pure radiance.

she is the sun
i can touch
and kiss

and hold
without
getting burnt.”

― Sanober Khan

Take a Stroll

If you took a stroll

down the halls

of the school

in which  I teach

you would see

the beauty of

creation.

you would see

green and blue tie-dyed earths

colorful rainbows

insect life cycles.

 

you would see

computer interpretations

of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers

books and artwork about musicians

music and instruments

hand molded ceramic bowls inscribed with short verse or rhyme,

like Dave the Potter did.

 

you would  see

thinking through

writing

hand maps

wordles

Come to poems

Spring acrostic poems.

 

and these

you would also see

hanging outside of

my classroom, room 53:

This student moved from Belarus to the United States at the beginning of this school year. When I first met her at the end of August 2015, she spoke 7 words in English. Look at her now!

 the beauty of

the creation

up and down the halls

as you strolled and

looked

at the walls

is what you would see.

©Maribeth Batcho

Tu M’énerves

Tu m’énerves.

Yes, you.  You big bully.  YOU.

Hey you, down there. Are you listening?  I’m talking to you.

You think you are so great because you are the biggest and baddest and boldest of the bunch.

You creep.  You slither and slide sight unseen.  Wrap your long tentacles around your unsuspecting victim.                                                                                                                                          S-l-o-w-l-y… gently… At first.

Yo, Brute!   You don’t have permission to kick me in the knee  and  stomp on my foot.  To push me down.  I am just an observer, sitting on the sidelines.

Then YOU come along.

How Irritating.  You make it impossible to think of anything else.  When I sit, YOU  come to mind.   Preparing dinner, and there YOU are again.  Relax with a good book,  and who appears?  Roll over in bed. YOU,  AGAIN! What is this, some long-standing joke?

Hey Life-Disrupter! Don’t you have anything better to do?

Yes, I’m talking to you.  You there,  You Vile Vise.

TU M’ENERVES!

You. are. on. My. NERVE.

My very last one.

You are nothing but a

BIG

P-A-I-N

in the

Butt. Buttocks.  Bottom.  Bum.  Tush.  Gluteous Maximus.

Oh, you…

Sciatic,  YOU better change your ways!