Bell Schedule

"How many bells have we heard this year?
Can we calculate with all the weird days?"
How many times have we been there waiting?
How many have we been too late?
How many have we missed when the band plays in our office?
How many with the strings?
How many has Ms. Arndt been in the middle of today's forecast?
How many when the students already left?
How many when we're kicked out of classrooms
and finding space for writing review?
When will we learn to use this schedule?
When will we learn the bell?

Warm Weather Winter

Warm weather in the winter
How does one respond
warm weather with a snow layer
warm weather-oasis days-hip hip hooray.

If I'm stuck inside all day,
stuck in the fishbowl office,
At night I meet the warm weather winter
with a welcome, now colder, evening embrace
I'll strike a pose, like Gene Kelly,
astride the light post on 15th
I'll call up to the train above my head
listening to its tumbling reply
March my opinions loudly to the world
stomping out my dreams.
And if someone should hear me
I'll greet them as a saint.
And when tomorrow refuses another warm weather winter,
I'll probably do the same.

How I Love the "History of Love"

I read it because it was
her favorite.
I loved it with it's
familiarity-
like a grandmother's couch-
familiarity with it's
emotions
familiarity within the child.
A child so familiar to those from
Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Lion's Wardrobes
so familiar in children's fantasies
and so familiar with perfect
memories.
memories underneath trees with dappled sunlight
memories of gentle touch and wrinkled noses
and timid glances
so familiar, that inability to leave
to let that story go
so familiar in the happiness of having felt
that love
so familiar to never let that
love go.

a better woman

a better woman
a better me
I have to strive for all of me.

live with values
with a purpose
live unconditionally
and love with values
love unconditionally

serve with passion
live the same
serve to be

a better woman

live and love the same.

What I Heard

1.

I heard her mother was sick
today, last week, 3 weeks ago
there was pain, it was her weight,
it was her gallbladder the
doctors say.

she, her family, they are hers.

and she has eyes that seek questions for curious minds
and a smile worth waiting for
and she's got style and she's got rhythm
from so many Cabarets and Celebrate! days
and she's got wit that will keep one on edge
and she knows what's important

and she's a woman.
She's a woman
I'd like to be like.
She's a woman.

2.

I heard her mother was sick
and it caught the back of my throat
it caught me behind my eyes
it caught me to the edge of my nostrils.

It caught me unsuspecting
just like the last time
and the time before
it caught me right between my lungs
it caught me unprepared.

How do you help your mother?
when you're caught from mind to muscle
How do you keep uncaught
How do you keep yourself?

You've got to start catching back
I'm not sure exactly when
but catch yourself and catch your life
so you can help catch for her.

ACT at the East Side YMCA

From this seat I can see
downtown Saint Paul
the Basilica on the far right
Rainbow, Little Caesar's, RadioShack
Blockbuster, smoking pipes, non-smoking pipes
cream colored pipes with a layer of Minnesota grime
and a stripe of white at the top
pipes held up with suspension lines
pipes surrounding rust red latticed windows
across the street banana colored sided homes
and a layer of two day old snow
covering it all.
Get in the zone, Autozone.
perpendicular to the Phalen Parkway.

I can see three Johnson scholars
ten Harding, three Highland Park,
one Arlington, one Como Park, and one Humboldt
but all they can see is
Prose Fiction, Natural Sciences, Humanities and
OMIT this choice.

I can see Peace
Like a River-a national bestseller-
stubbed pencils and a scented, grape Mr. Sketch
Leftover Bruegger's bag with more exams
start time 1:20, 5 min 2:00, end time 2:05
start 5 min end
start 5 min end
on the back of manila folders and envelopes
But I don't think they can all see that.

Prompt

conservation in design
conservation or design
interior or exterior design
interior space within exterior design
or
exterior space within interior design

I hope your family gets HGTV.

on the east side
you don't plant trees
it's neighborhood shoppers in exterior design
and corrugated cardboard in interior design
and Maria's Daycare in exterior and interior design.

Your pencils move fast
consider(ing) the prompt.

Untitled 4

Through to the end
head down
hair all over
forward kick back side side

STOP

erase.

forward kick back forward side side
forward side

STOP

repeat.

thirty times
thirty minutes.
Tierra kept her promise
and more.

Untitled 3

a liar.
I know you think I'm a liar.
I overslept
my alarm
and I know you think I'm
a liar.

Maybe before, Porsha
but no, not now.

Crack

Crack
like the Mississippi
her mom in North
she's on the East Side

She doesn't love her
she has to tip toe around her
because her mom might cut
because her mom isn't stable

They don't live together
but when her mom starts using
it still makes that crack go deeper.

Ten Minutes

It's only been ten minutes,
you've only got a little bit there

If you keep writing
I suppose that's okay

But if you keep thinking
just think of what will happen
think of your sway.

Suddenly it isn't just about funding
for sports or arts
it isn't just this page with words

It's you. It's you on that page
Your thoughts, your future, your family on that page
Think about her, she's the girl whom you love
think of what you can tell her
about funding for sports and arts education.

How do we solve this large problem? you'll say
to this girl. How can we offer the best for
our students? What is the best, dear love?
Because you and I did not get the best, love.
You and I did not get the best.

Untitled 2

I'm tired she said
I know it's a long day
We have writing too?
Yes, yes we do
but isn't that optional?
It isn't for us
I"m not going to college
You can make that decision
You won't stop me?
I won't stop you but I need things from you
What do you mean?
You come take my ACTs
come to my sessions
go to Augustana overnight
stay in the dorm
apply to five schools
four year not two
fill out the FAFSA
and then we'll see what you want
If you do all that
plus a scholarship or two
you can do anything
I'll never stop you.

Though I might have an opinion for you.

Ode to Pens

Colleges give me pens
Augsburg pens
Saint Mary's pens
ACT code on the pens
Sometimes more than one pen

I almost got a pen from Mankato
That pen was purple and large
3M at Johnson gave me a pen
It contains small post it flags
Sometimes my students leave their pens
Johnson High School maroon pens

At one point I took my roommate's pen
that pen was pink and not fit for her work
I like to borrow the pen from Ms. Shroeder's desk
it's the least she can do as I clean her room

I like all these pens
though I never have them long
I think a proper thank you should be made
to these pens I've described

Cat and Mouse

Last night Sebastian caught the mouse.
I wasn't there but I know
he twisted, tormented and ravaged just like
his tigger on a rope.

It's all for sport.

Tonight the mouse is lost
paralyzed
I'm sure also from shock

and she is on the bike
sweating, mouth gaped
eyes focused on the technicolor Samsung
"Give yourself a smile makeover . . ."

meanwhile, somewhere
that mouse, stilled, lies waiting for his end.

It's all for sport.

The Old Johnson Neighborhood

We moved to Prospect Park for the
running. It's close to the river,
a bike to the U
a walk to tennis
and sledding in January.
We moved for the neighbors and they're
still good. Across the street we can get
gardening advice, sometimes a helping hand.

But I don't run in Prospect Park. It's technically
the South of Franklin neighborhood.
There's just too much.

Too much that reminds me of how I used to run.
How fast are those guys going? What kind of
dinner party is that River Road home having?
Do I need to be home for dinner?
Pick up the pace.
I might see my family.
Pick up the pace.

Now I run in the Johnson neighborhood.
It's so different than where I used to run
I tell myself
slow down, you've got time
Phalen Lake, a small ski park
these are a few memories of the old
Johnson

The old Johnson came in the Fall to speak.
The old Johnson was white,
big corporation CEO
The old Johnson spoke proudly of display
cases with trophies from hockey and
football championships.
Where are those cases?
The old Johnson spoke of opportunity,
promise and hope
but it wasn't Title One when he was here.
The old Johnson stood before Hmong, black American,
Karen, Liberian, Cambodian, Mexican, Somalian, Oromo, Ethiopian,
white American, undocumented, documented but
over seventy percent in need of
lunch today.

Two Kennys

1

I know two Kennys at Johnson.
One stopped by my classroom after school
little did he know
my plan-a cross multiplication plan!

"Kenny, do you like fish?"
"Oh, spicy fish?"
"and sushi?"
"Sushi Kenny everyone! A round of applause for Sushi Kenny!"

"Sushi Kenny, you can cross multiply if you like fish."

"Sushi Kenny over the bottom number-YES
denominator-Sushi Kenny to the opposite top-
Numerator, you're right!"

"Sushi Kenny, do you know what that equals?"

"Yes! It equals the other denominator
sushi kennyed to the other numerator!"

"Sushi Kenny, do you see the fish?"

"Me too."

"Thank you for joining session today."

I do not know how I taught cross multiplication without
Sushi Kenny.

Probably ineffectively.

2.

The second Kenny is really the first.
I think he felt lost
he definitely felt sick.

He ran up the stairs
looked left and saw the bathroom
looked right and saw the college access programs office
This was the place-the atrium of the
auditorium balcony.
Trash can puker had found his can.

I really admire that ease:
comfort he felt. It almost did not feel odd
when he floated, coat falling to the floor, feet
forward and face focused on the can.
Perhaps this person came to tell me how to
combine these rational numbers. Perfectly
rational.

And thus, it was not odd when he didn't leave
Eagan tried to get the nurse,
but I thought, ah! a recruit!
"Are you a sophomore?"
"Oh, freshman."
"What are you college plans?"
"Well join this program next year."

Hours later, a nurse unfound
there was his grandmother.
She was grateful, not to me, I didn't
do much, not to Eagan, but-
oh, the nurse is here.

Teacher's Lounge

I'm not really welcome in the teacher's lounge.
I know because I don't have a key.
But this school makes exceptions all the time.

So I use the bathroom-sometimes it is too
difficult to face "All white people are bitches-"
and I heat my leftovers
and I try to find the best response to the
conversation-
I was not invited to.

I never hear the names of my forty,
but they talk about them.
It's "Kyle, yeah you know him" with a nod
"he is late everyday" and
"what do you do with them when
they can't read an analogue clock?"

Two minutes left on last night's borscht
Maybe you could show him?
Obnoxious, Caroline

One minute fifty-six,
This school should offer basic math
Oh right, they do.

One minute fifty-four,
He could join my sessions, what is his name?
But you already stress too much-there are
only so many Gin and Tonics you can afford
per month.

One minute fifty-two and the chance is lost.
At least I haven't made too many people
dislike me here today and tomorrow the lounge
will be open
again.

Tell Me

What I want most is for them to want
this. To want to feel meaningful
perhaps in someone else's life.

It's not that they are not already
but do they feel it?

Do they want to be moved by literature, words
maybe even equations?
Do they want to create
maybe using the languages they already know?
Do they want to keep their eyes open to
contemplate with the one they love the most.

Tell me students, peers-you are just six years younger.
What do you feel when Frances Wright asks us
to band together for equality but Malcolm X
tells us its an independent fight?

Tell me,
What doe you feel when you notice true
disdain from your teachers. I've heard
it too.

Tell me,
What do I not know? Tell me what
we can learn today.
Tell me students. Tell me.

This Exam

They used there intelligence to

find the expected data point

where mercury equals 17 and the pressure

increases in the sealed container with a

constant-Is this answer consistent?

If you knew that the subject, verb and complete

idea made this clause independent,

perhaps you would not be so dependent.

But I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T means strong women

not complete sentences.

You only have forty-five minutes for this exam.

Do not begin work until instructed to do so.

Do not alter or fill in ovals.

Do not turn the page to the next test.

Read the directions carefully and when

y = (x^3 + 3x^3)/x^3 and y > 0 but z <>

what is the value?

of this exam.

Untitled

Sometimes

I feel like I'm pulling all

forty

ropes around my waist.

They can let go.

So how do I get them over the

speed bumps on those rollerblades?

The Most Important Thing

On campus

housing for four

years of traditions of Karhu, Rottblatt and

stadium dungeons left behind for the arb

and the wind beyond highway 3 to Tom and

Olives in the hot dish tonight.

Why does that freshman stare at me when she only gives me one serving?

Don't I look

hungry for more.

Usually I wanted

fewer classes, fewer stares from the

patriarch I thought I'd left in

Connecticut-the Constitution state, when do the

people of Connecticut perpetuate liberty for the sixth ward, New England's rising

star? It's been a question since

1840 people crammed in tenements on the

river-there was no running water-and

that was the most important

thing

I learned in college.

But now there is

more that keeps me learning

running in this high school.

But I, I had room for Zen

and the Art of Western and Asian Wood

working in this high school

spirals around first, second, third

lunches spent in earnest

talks I had prepared for all day.

And now, in stride, I realize how many

grade levels I am behind.