I think the resident teenager is depressed. He is not content to stay at home or to go without visitors. The company of his parents does not thrill him. They coax him to come out, are successful from time to time, in small doses finding him in good spirits, but more often than not, theyContinue reading “A Journal of the Plague Year: #8”
Tag Archives: parenting
#347: A Prose Poem Meditation on the Penultimate Day of National Poetry Month by the American English Teacher in His Potentially Penultimate Professional Year, Ending in a Rhyming Couplet
The natives are restless, the 9th graders are rowdy, won’t stop talking, interrupt almost every teacher phrase with chatter, and because my intern has the class, I am completely unruffled. It’s the penultimate day of National Poetry Month and this is my penultimate poem in prose in the April of my potentially penultimate school yearContinue reading “#347: A Prose Poem Meditation on the Penultimate Day of National Poetry Month by the American English Teacher in His Potentially Penultimate Professional Year, Ending in a Rhyming Couplet”
#224: Early Summer Loss
On this hot June evening, my son and I listen to new music in the cool basement, staying up late, having a pretty darn good time. Before bed, though, one more chore: fold and put away the laundry in a pile on the bed upstairs. O horrors, as I’m folding I see these little curled upContinue reading “#224: Early Summer Loss”
#171: Penultimate Poem for April: A Review of Last Night’s Tantrum
Last night’s temper tantrum was a resounding success. Let us consider the salient features of the tantrum and see to what heights of glory were reached by last night’s specimen. Usually, a tantrum begins with some struggle right before bedtime, typically involving the cessation of play and the transition upstairs. This was most clearly evident. Ad electronics. ThereContinue reading “#171: Penultimate Poem for April: A Review of Last Night’s Tantrum”
#135: The Eight Year Old Uses Tweezers To Pull A Sliver Out of His Daddy’s Hand
This happened yesterday, for real, and it was one of those events in parenting, perfectly mundane, nearly inconsequential, that nevertheless felt poignant in that moment, and today even more powerful as parents in my state again lose their children to guns. It breaks my heart. Love your kids. The Eight Year Old Uses Tweezers ToContinue reading “#135: The Eight Year Old Uses Tweezers To Pull A Sliver Out of His Daddy’s Hand”
#122: To My Son
Dear son, whatever befalls you in life, whichever direction you choose to go, wherever you go to school and whatever you decide to study, whatever religion you choose to follow, even if you choose, wisely I might ad, to follow no religion whatsoever, to be a spiritual non-religious person, whatever instrument you tackle, even ifContinue reading “#122: To My Son”
#79: A Minecraft Poem (Dad’s Understanding Emerges)
As I understand it, Minecraft is a computer game in which a first person player named Steve wanders through a seemingly endless outdoor landscape made entirely of blocks of things. The grass, the trees, the water, the hills, the clouds in the sky–all blocks (nothing in this world is curved, arched, or angular-slanty). In his wandering,Continue reading “#79: A Minecraft Poem (Dad’s Understanding Emerges)”
#69: Screen Dilemma (Left To His Devices)
Screen Dilemma (Left To His Devices) If the boy were left to his own devices he would be playing a video game or streaming some show on the damn iPad all day long. The bad news is that sometimes he is left to his own devices and I agonize about my shitty parenting. Sometimes IContinue reading “#69: Screen Dilemma (Left To His Devices)”
#68: On Watching an Episode of My Little Pony with My Son
On Watching an Episode of My Little Pony with My Son Yeah, I know about bronies. I was introduced to this term by a student, an 11th grade boy who wrote an essay about being a brony, part confessional, part defense of the show’s merits, partial explanation of the idiosyncrasies of this particular kid. AtContinue reading “#68: On Watching an Episode of My Little Pony with My Son”
#45: The Seven Year Old Understands Adult Psychology (Whispering Across the Table)
The Seven Year Old Understands Adult Psychology (Whispering Across the Table) So the boy and his mother are bickering, you know, the usual stuff, it’s time for dinner and someone won’t put away the iPad. There are repeated requests, some back talk, further struggling, the ubiquitous countdown, and then the final capitulation with an accompanimentContinue reading “#45: The Seven Year Old Understands Adult Psychology (Whispering Across the Table)”
michael jarmer 