Dear Reader, We Write the Book of our Times

The latest activity in the Edublog Teachers Challenge is to consider our blog readers (that would be you, by the way — we were talking about you. We only said nice things). It’s easy to get wrapped up in the writing sometimes and forget that there are readers out there (have I mentioned how nice you look in that shirt today?) who read and sometimes write (make sure you keep a smile on today, even if it gets rough) at our blogs. We’re partners, often — the writers and the readers (so thank you for visiting).

I woke this morning thinking of this idea of visitors here (again, that would be you and don’t worry, the dream was purely platonic) and how nice it really is that anyone spends time to write with me. I do write for myself — I would write even if this blog were unplugged — but there is something nice knowing that there are a handful of folks who wonder what I am up (sorry if my wandering brain gets you dizzy, reader. It’s the writer in me).

So, I wrote you a poem, dear reader. I wrote you a poem to thank you for being on this journey with me (here, have a cup of coffee and a muffin and stay for a minute) and to show some appreciation for your end of this conversation (sometimes, you are silent, thinking, but that’s OK — I’m like that too, sometimes, on my own journeys).

Thank you.

Writing the Book of Our Times
(listen to the podcast)

Imagine my surprise in finding you
arriving here, so unexpected,
bundled up against the flow of ceaseless information,
seeking a place to land as temporary shelter,
seeking out a conversation.

Come in, dear reader,
and share this fire with me;
I’m tossing sparks into the flames
in hopeful optimism that change is afoot
out there —
it’s something we can feel, if not always see,
and it needs to be named.
I need your help, so perhaps your arrival is fortuitous,
a breath of air on the embers.

Ignore the rapping on the basement door.
I’ve locked up the Spam King and all of his cronies
trying to sell me their trinkets and lies
while scraping my blog for ideas —
they are thieves and scoundrels,
and I am sorry
if you have ever found yourself in their company.
Dear reader, you deserve better.

Take off your coat and grab an idea;
Feed the fire with me,
and tell me a story of your journeys
as I will tell you of mine;
Combined, we’ll write the book of our times.

Peace (in the poems),
Kevin

22 Comments
  1. Absolutely, fabulous, Kevin. What a great post to finish the Kick Start Your Blog Challenge. Conversations, challenges and journeys have all been shared and what a book we could, can and will write. Thanks, Kevin for this inspiration.

  2. Kevin, you were part of my original journey. Do you remember the “What is your Dream” digital story telling and the words that students created from three different countries and added as a podcast to your blog. I remember your great “Day in a Sentence” activities, often introducing new tools. I still try and complete this, with Bonnie, when the challenge is not too difficult (I have never been a poet). So, again thanks for being part of this next step in the journey.

    • Of course, I remember our times together, Anne, with Youth Radio’s Dream Scenes and Day in a Sentence activities and all of that. I love how paths continue to cross.
      Kevin

  3. Hi Kevin,

    Wow, this poem is a great response to the final blogging challenge! I love that you wrote a poem and also posted the audio to it. Very creative! I agree that it’s nice knowing that you have readers of your blog. Thank you for sharing your poem!

    –Jee Young

  4. Another fabulous post, Kevin. You are such a creative writer. I can tell from the things you share here with us that your class must be amazing. Thanks for sharing and writing a poem to your readers.

    I will continue to follow your journey, and I wish you luck along the way. Keep up the amazing work!

  5. Dear Kevin,
    I am a reader with goose bumps all of over after reading your piece. I like that I have been through this challenge and that I have found so many nice places to read and write at. It is really the books of our times that we are writing and reading, and I hope that we manage to teach our students that as well. And also that we manage to give them the tools they need to participate.

    I hope that we can continue help each other with taking a step back, not only when it comes to the blogging experience, but also when it comes to the teaching experience.

    • I’m glad you feel welcome and are going to try a podcast.
      The easiest way, in my opinion?
      Try Cinchcast (http://www.cinchcast.com/) — you can call in right from a phone, or upload audio, or record directly. It will give you embed codes, etc. Very simple to use.
      Let me know if you give it a try …
      Kevin

  6. Kevin
    Thank you firstly for leaving a comment on my blog. For some reason I have missed your posts in the challenge. That was a huge miss for me, so I am very thankful that you did. I love your humour. And I can only admire the poetry. A gift you have obviously nourished. I too listened to it, the way you read it, brings it to life.
    I did some podcasting with my class but have let if fall by the wayside. I think I should pick it up again, and I will try out Cinchcast, as you say to Kay.
    That brings me to the point you left on my blog. How do we track these discussions. We can get notified by email, but that can clog our emails arteries! I sometimes write myself a note to go back. Its a tough one. However the discussion on this post is rich and I wouldn’t want to have missed out on any of it.

  7. Hi Kevin,
    Wow what a way to finish the challenge with an excellent poem. You’ve got some really interesting thoughts and I’m so glad you shared it with us. Yes, we’re all on a journey and I’m so glad I did this challenge. Thanks for leaving your comment on my blog. I’ve also found you on Twitter too.

    http:groovylibrarian.edublogs.org

    Glenda.

  8. OK, Kevin, I cried tears into my ice cream sundae as I listened to you read the poem to me. (I decided on ice cream instead of coffee and a muffin, since it’s evening.) That poem is beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing. You are a talented musician and writer, and I do enjoy writing the book of our times with you. Denise

  9. Nice work, Kevin.

    There are so many bloggers taking this challenge and so little time to write your own posts, keep up with your PLN, teach, mark, teach, plan, teach, that, like Kathyrn, I missed yours. I am very glad that my first visit to your blog brought me face to face with this post.

    That is a great poem and your choice to audiocast it was terrific. As with all the #ksyb participants, I will definitely follow you. In fact, now that the challenge is done, I plan to spend more time reading and enjoying each participant’s blog.

    Have a great day. Keep blogging.
    Shawn

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