Throughout the month of March, I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge. I am happy to co-host this event with the team at Two Writing Teachers. Everyone is welcome!
Do you ever feel
Like you're juggling
eggs?
And somewhere between the tosses
and catches
One drops.
Splat.
You might not even know
It dropped
Until --maybe even much later--
you try to pick up your foot
But it's stuck
Glued to the floor
In a sticky
Mess.
The King's horses and
The King's (wo)men
hear
ask questions
whisper
and shake their heads
at the broken egg.
And maybe someone hands
you another egg
so you can
return to
juggling.
I'm not ready to write about the slice of yesterday's life that inspired me to write this... I'm still working on the ending and hoping that sticky (expletive) egg gets put together again. Whenever one of my girls struggled to apologize (especially one of them), I'd give them a copy of Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture and have them read the chapter about giving a good apology. There are three parts: saying sorry, owning your part, and then trying to make it better. I've done the first two. I'm working on the third!
Happy Slicing,
What a great poem! I've never read The Last Lecture but I will (when I'm done reading slices) The art of an apology is something we can all use a lesson in. This slice is a bit of a teaser to a future one. Looking forward, as always, to another glimpse into your life via story! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLove the poem and the vulnerability you shared at the end. A powerful message on many levels - kids need to know we are not always ready to write about something and it takes time to truly apologize. Simply saying sorry is not making amends. The art of the apology is not one we are teaching well these days. Sorry you had a tough day.
ReplyDeleteWow! What a great poem. I love how you did not tell the whole story, but I still feel full. I hope the apology comes and the chapter helps.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great poem and a great metaphor. There are so many days I feel like I juggle eggs too - both at school and at home.
ReplyDeleteI have never read The Last Lecture, but it seems like I need to add it to my list!
I went to bed last night with a similar feeling about something from my day at school. I'm not sure it will make it into a slice, but an apology is brewing. This is a very apt image, though. Sometimes I forget how breakable the eggs are.
ReplyDeleteThe perfect metaphor - juggling eggs. And when you drop one (even if you don't know it) someone just hands you another. Yup. May you find a way to make better what needs to be made better. And may you have some time to put down the eggs.
ReplyDeleteLove that you were able to explore and share your experience through this beautiful poem when you felt that you weren't ready for a realistic narrative. Such an honest and vulnerable slice-I think that takes courage!
ReplyDeleteI have to go back and read that chapter and have ready to go for my girls someday! I love that your following the steps you encourage your children to take. Lead by example. I hope it works!
ReplyDeleteThe king's (wo)men. I giggled. Love you!
ReplyDeleteI would like everyone to know I am not the (especially one of them)!! :-)
DeleteI love this reflection and your honesty with working through something. Thanks for the book recommendation - I'm going to look this up and I hope you make peace with letting an egg drop; life can get tricky.
ReplyDeleteI love this poem and I feel this way nearly every day. Good luck juggling. You can do it.
ReplyDelete