This poem is dedicated to Hannah, for her strong heart and kindness in the face of a difficult day.
Students - we have spoken before about how writers take on topics which trouble them. When I read the story over at Two Writing Teachers about Hannah's experience at recess, immediately I knew that I wanted to write a poem about this feeling. I certainly know how it feels to be left out. It has happened to me...it happens to each of us. But what will we do? I hope my children, and I, will react as Hannah did. I hope to react not by running away, not by acting out of my own mean places, but rather by creating a new solution and inviting others to be a part of it.
If you read what Hannah's mom (Ruth Ayres) wrote over at Two Writing Teachers, you may have noticed that the words, "...don't know what's in my heart..." are directly repeated in today's poem. That is because they are perfect words, and I felt grateful to hear them and pass them along in another shape. Sometimes beautiful words come to us when we listen to wise people of any age. Thank you, Hannah.
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