Then there are the words of Emily Dickinson

Today I am grateful for coffee and bananas and other simple things in life. I am also grateful that my stepson Arthur and his wife Alyssa have many wonderful new opportunities ahead for them, including the birth of their first child, due in August.

I appreciated the opportunity at school Thursday and Friday to read some poetry to 7th and 8th graders. I read to six different groups of students. Thank you to my colleagues Kelly and Mallory for giving me this opportunity.  The students are beginning their own journey into reciting poetry aloud, so I gave them some examples.

I have only been reading my poetry out loud in earnest for a few months. It is such an invigorating experience.

I read three poems, including one of my own. One of the other two was this one, one of my favorites from Emily Dickinson:

If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain. 

I have liked this poem since the first time I read it many years ago. I was thinking of Sheila and her family each time I read it.  Some pain is very hard to be eased. 

There is always hope in a new day though.

I will be taking a blog break for a few days and look forward to being back at it next week.

Have a good day, moment by moment.