On Being Thankful - A Poem of Thanksgiving inspired by Karen Hesse

I just finished reading Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse with my middle school students.  If you have not yet read it, do yourself a favor and check it out over break.  It is written for young adults but I find so much wisdom in it about hope and perseverance.  I read it for the first time 15 years ago before really having had to persevere much and loved it then.  Now I love it even more and still cry at the end (even after reading it with kids for the 5th class period in a row.)  Near the end of the book the main character shares a poem of Thanksgiving called Thanksgiving List.  Using her model, I decided to write my own to remind myself how lucky I am in the hustle, bustle and stress of the most wonderful time of the year:

Thanksgiving List by Danielle Johnson

  

Baby skin, the laughter of girls, the bell

ringing,

the smell of lemongrass

and freshly baked cookies,

co-workers like family, the flowers picked by little hands,

sun shining on the sand,

the ocean so

massive, so full of

peace and adventure,

the faces on cards

that fill our mailbox.

Seph’s strength,

and his loyalty,

and his patience.

Brothers.

Shelter when it snows,

parents loving me like I’m still a child,

needing protection and spoiling,

the rare days when I get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep,

the heartfelt notes from will be teachers so thankful and full of promise,

the sound of breathing,

my car (or house or desk) staying clean

for more than one day,

the smell of cold,

of wide awake,

of calm returning to our evenings.

The walk I hope

to take across the stage this spring,

the students with so much energy, so full of life

my friends

of understanding, of full social calendars, of companionship.

And the daughters at the center, my lessons, my heart

My shout into the future

My tribute to my past. 

And because I think it would be super fun to read all of your lists, I will potentially break all copyright laws and share the original as a model.  Send me yours if you are so inclined:) 

Thanksgiving List from

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Prairie birds, the whistle of gophers, the wind

blowing,

the smell of grass

and spicy earth,

friends like Mad Dog, the cattle down in the river,

water washing over hooves,

the sky so

big, so full of

shifting clouds,

the cloud shadows creeping

over the fields,

Daddy’s Smile,

and his laugh,

and his songs,

Louise,

food without dust,

Daddy seeing to Ma’s piano,

newly cleaned and tuned,

the days when my hands don’t hurt at all,

the thank-you note from Lucille in Moline, Kansas,

the sound of rain,

Daddy’s hole staying full of water

as the windmill turns,

the smell of green,

of damp earth,

of hope returning to our farm.

The poppies set to

bloom on Ma and Franklin’s grave,

the morning with the whole day waiting, full of promise,

the night

of quiet, of no expectation, of rest.

And the certainty of home, the one I live in,

and the one

that lives in me.