Forget

Photo retrieved from pixabay.com

After a round of Remember poems by my writing group, one of the members suggested we write Forget poems. I wrote this one.

Forget

Forget about the future. You can predict nothing.

Forget about the "what if"s and the "one day"s, and think about the "right here, right now"s.


Forget about the buts and maybes, and opt for the "hell yeah"s and "make it so"s.


Forget about "could have been" and "might be" and


Do It.


Right here, right now.


Forget about some day, 


and seize the day.

Then I came home from work and my writing group meeting tonight to learn some very sad news. My son came pounding down the stairs at full speed, "Mom, Luke's dad died last night." Luke is a friend from middle school, and last night his dad lost a short and brutal battle with cancer. His mom, an at-home mom and a very kind woman, has been left to raise four children on our own. Luke is the oldest of three boys and a girl, all really great kids who are now without a father. My heart goes out to this lovely family, and I only hope they find peace in their love for one another as they try to cope. For them, and for everyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one, I wrote this.

Forget

Forget the little argument you had this morning.

Forget about the thing you wanted him to do but he didn't.

Forget the time he was late.

Forget about the shirt he shrunk in the dryer, 

or the dish he dropped and broke by mistake.

Forget the pile of papers on your desk 

and the phone calls you haven't returned.

And Remember.

Remember the touch of his hand and the warmth of his smile.

Remember the first time he said I love you.

Remember when you promised you'd always be together.

Remember the deepest kind of love is the kind it hurts to lose,

and it's worth every bit of risk.

Remember to give your heart with reckless abandon,

and to cherish every moment while you can.

Forget the little things and remember what matters most.

Remember

A writing group friend posted the poem Remember by Joy Harjo. She wrote her own version to model for her students with whom she used Harjo's as a mentor poem. She also shared some beautiful poetry written by her middle school students. Then, another writing group member wrote one of her own. Together they all inspired me to write my own Remember poem. Here it is.

Remember

Remember what the great ones told you,
experience and discovery are what they need.
Remember what it is like to wonder. We were young once too.

Remember teaching by inspiring, your enthusiasm was contagious.
Remember sunrise and the excitement of a new day.
Remember their faces, how they lit up
when you started a new story or introduced a new lesson.

Remember why you wanted to be a teacher. How much you love to learn
and wanted to share the love with others.
Remember when you knew why you were here. When you were trusted to
do what you do best.

Remember you know what kids need.

Remember Dewey, and Whitehead, Bruner and Freire,
and remember your beliefs about learning.
Remember poetry and prose, and the importance of the narrative.
Remember doing is learning.

Remember experience.

Remember who you are.
Remember what you know.
Remember what they need.

Remember transformation.