One of my favorite places

This morning in class, we all wrote poems about our favorite places. When asked if we wanted to share our poems, I felt nervous and very reluctant. I started to understand how a student might feel about reading their poem in front of others. A poem is so personal that you are sharing a part of yourself with everyone who hears it. I didn't end up reading mine in front of my classmates, but I feel comfortable sharing it in a written form. So here is my poem. (Heather, do you recognize the place?)

Renewal

Pat. Pat. Pat. Pat.

Each foot connects with earth for a

moment before pulling away again.

In through the nose.

Out through the mouth.

Mind, body, and spirit are refreshed

with each life giving breath. All negative

energy is forced out through exhalation.

Pat. Pat. Pat. Pat.

Right on schedule. The cows look

up from their breakfast. We silently

greet each other.

In through the nose.
Out through the mouth.

The dilapidated barn stands still as
I move forward.

Splash. Splash. Splash.
Splash. Splash.

A wave of frogs leap into the safety
of the shallow water.

Pat. Pat. Pat. Pat.
Pat. Pat. Pat.

I feel freedom and release as the
earth slopes downward.

Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.

My feet no longer touch the earth.
Faster. Almost there. Just around
the next curve.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.

I've come full circle but am not the
same as when I began.

There was quite a bit of excitement after lunch. The claxton bells at the UNH campus started to sound and then a loud voice told everyone that there was a tornado warning, meaning one was SIGHTED in the area, and that everyone needs to get inside immediately. I walked outside of the library to get to the basement of one of the lecture halls. While outside, I looked left and saw the darkest cloud I've ever seen in my life. It scared me and my heart started to beat really fast. I hurried down into the basement and sat in the hallway away from all the windows. About half of my class was down there with me. We were supposed to be peer reviewing each others pedagogy papers, but it was hard to focus with the crazy weather going on outside. After about an hour, the claxton bells rang again and announced that the warning was over.