The week began with sadness, anger, and confusion swirling around. A whirlwind of emotions that I had to write my way through. Writing helps me to process and (try to) understand all that surrounds. The events of the week kept me on a difficult writing path, but as I prepare to publish this post I am relieved to learn that the violence that disrupted protesting, early in the week, seems to have subsided and local leaders across the country are beginning to listen to the unified voices shouting for change. I chose to turn my Monday writing release into my post, even though this piece contains topics that are beyond my expertise, beyond my comfort-level, because I understand that silence solves nothing and I get to choose discomfort over comfort. Not everyone has that choice. The topics presented in my poetic prose always leave me heartbroken and confused, but I will do my best to show awareness and respect and present multiple points of view. I am not offering answers in these lines; I am just a teacher and poet writing through emotions and trying to make sense of our current affairs, that sadly, are nothing new, and I am sharing my voice, as I repeatedly, through the years, asked countless students to do.

I shared my voice, like I encouraged my students to do. Writing on the topics of race relations, I am ill-prepared, even though I am well-read on racism and oppression, having taught American Literature for many years, and having created and taught many projects promoting social justice. Books and stories reveal a world of information, but they do not replace first-hand experience. But from discomfort, I will not turn; I will ask and learn. I will focus on what one teacher and poet with a pen can do, which starts with turning off images of violence and death. I can do more than constantly watching clips of a man’s final breaths, or bricks launched in the air. I can begin asking myself difficult questions, that asked collectively, could lead to a fairy tale come-true, where love and acceptance reign.✌❤ Michele