Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘girls’

After Their Trip to Guatemala I Watch My Daughter and Her Friends

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on July 2, 2022| 6 Comments »


The smallest change in perspective can transform a life.
            —Oprah Winfrey
 
 
They return arm in arm,
linked by elbows and laughter,
linked by memories of women weaving
 
and warm fresh tortillas and the girl
who begged them to bring her home with them.
They are the same girls who left,
 
only more spacious, filled with vast lake
and tropical rain and the generosity
of the people who live with little.
 
They are more citizens of the world, now,
having sat on the earth and around tables
with children and elders so different, so the same.
 
Having left in service, they return the richer—
oh sweet paradox,
how in giving of themselves they are beautifully changed.
 
 

Read Full Post »

Spending the Day at the Volleyball Tournament

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on February 10, 2020| 2 Comments »

 

 

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.        

—Annie Dillard

 

 

I want to spend my life

cheering for young girls as they learn

what they are capable of, learn

to trust themselves and each other,

learn to become a team. I want

to spend my life looking for new ways

to say, “I am thrilled with who

you are becoming.” I want to support

other women’s daughters, all of them,

some of them with my own hands.

It’s so easy, really. A glass of water,

a hug, a word, a shoulder, a nod.

And if days are our currency, let me

spend them giving as much love

as possible, though it sounds

like a cheer, though it feels like a pat

on the back, though it looks like

a bagel, a headband, a double thumbs up.

 

Read Full Post »

At the Birthday Party

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on July 24, 2015| 1 Comment »

After they save the world, the girls

know there will be ice cream cake.

But first, they decorate and don their sparkling masks.

They be-jeweled and glue flowers onto flowing white capes.

They are all seven now, and they know

a thing or two about the life of a superhero—

it’s hard and takes teamwork. As they prepare,

Bubbles suggests they plan to stick together—

none of them wants to go it alone.

Fire Girl, Superwoman and Lunta agree.

The mission is harder than they thought.

Superwoman, though she has powers

of super speed and super strength,

also learns she is afraid

of tall grass and snakes.

Lunta, though she has powers of snow and ice,

has to ditch her shiny black dress shoes

mid-mission. She opts for pink sneakers instead.

As they face the world’s foes,

they stop to pick daisies

and strew the white petals in a pond.

They chant and sing and cast spells

and find pretty rocks by the river.

They notice damselflies and orange butterflies

and look in the willows for nests.

In an hour the job is done.

All ten of the world’s greatest foes

have been found and chastised and glitter bombed.

And now the heroes are hungry.

While eating the cake, no one

boasts that she did more work than the others.

They talk about going back to the pond

to swim and canoe, which they do.

For hours they splash and paddle and negotiate

how to share the one float toy

that everyone wants. Who could

recognize them now without

their masks and capes, these girls

who are saving the world?

Read Full Post »