With Our Eyes and Hands, We Write Our Poetry

My son woke me up at 2am this morning telling me he had a nightmare. Before we went downstairs to talk about it I rolled over to kiss the girls. As I did, Bella made little puppy sounds and Sofia wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me in her sleep……Oh, l’amour!

When I look at my children sleeping I see such pure, wonderful……perfect poetry. I feel it in my heart and hear its music in my soul, and sense it write itself in my veins as I reach out to touch their beautiful faces.

As my fingertips caress them I realize I am simply giving back to them all what they have given to me….all things good, all things pure…all things perfectly beautiful.



The world has such beauty in it, if we would only see it through loving eyes.

The world could become so much more beautiful, if we would only touch it with loving hands.



Brosden and I ended up watching “Dead Poet’s Society” on TCM (arguably THE best station on TV), which is ironic because of my own growing love for poetry… Not only do my poor children have to ask their demanding father to be excused before leaving the dinner table, they also have to recite a line of poetry from their favorite poet.

And then I heard this poem in the movie, which says and sums up so much, and gives us the answer we're looking for when doubting ourselves…….(complete poem)

O Me! O Life!

by Walt Whitman.

"O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; Of the endless trains of the faithless--of cities fill'd with the foolish; Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?) Of eyes that vainly crave the light--of the objects mean--of the struggle ever renew'd; Of the poor results of all--of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me; Of the empty and useless years of the rest--with the rest me intertwined; The question, O me! so sad, recurring--What good amid these, O me, O life?


Answer. That you are here--that life exists, and identity;

That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse”

(after 3 weeks of not getting Sofia for Dad's Date Night due to "mis communications", we celebrated our time together in this powerful play in joyous, miniature golfing celebration)

Robin Williams (who coincidentally has sent a signed photo of himself from the same movie with, “To Mr. Stuart’s class: Dream Big!”) followed the poem up in the movie with:


That the Powerful Play Goes on and YOU may CONTRIBUTE a Verse.

What will your verse be?

(The class outside celebrating after watching the Space Shuttle's successful takeoff on Thursday. What will their verse be?????

And Sofia, now sitting on my lap and seeing this picture of her old school, just finished reaching for the computer screen saying, "Bring me back. Bring me back". Oh le chagrin d'amour - Oh the heartache. )

Earlier tonight, when I asked my son what he wanted his “verse” to be, he looked at me and said, “To be like you, Dad. To be like you.”

I don't tell my children everything I do. I don't want them or my students worrying about me or experiencing any more of the ugliness in the world than they have to, hopefully cleaning up as much of it as possible before the sight of it causes them to become jaded and start giving up on their dreams.

So for my child to see me as he does, simply as his father, means the world.

I think my own son is telling me he has met a man, just as I have with my own father. And as I look at him now sleeping on the couch behind me, I see a young boy who will grow into a very wonderful man, and feel tears of joy covering my eyes because of it. Of all the things I could give my son, this has to be one of the greatest, and it feels like pure, wonderful…perfect poetry.





The world has such beauty in it, if we would only see it through loving eyes.

The world could become so much more beautiful, if we would only touch it with loving hands.




(The teacher sees the student as being able to see what they don't yet get, and working with them hands-on until they do.....And Florencia now "seeing" what it really means to divide a fraction by another fraction....and seeing herself as more confident, more able, more beautiful......seeing herself as more than she was when she came to school that morning)


This clip has the part with Whitman's poem (near the 3:30 minute mark). The rest of the clips are some more favorite parts from the movie. I hope you enjoy them. I hope you feel inspired by them. I hope you use them to believe in yourself and write the poetry of your life with loving eyes and loving hands.

Because when you do, Life Rocks!