Snowflake
The first flake of snow
Falling ever so softly,
It finds the ground – lost.
by Jenn, age 5
The Rest of the Story
I debated whether to share this poem. Technically this Haiku
was written at the request of my preschool teacher, so I guess you can say I
wrote it for someone else! lol. Aside from that, this poem marks the moment where my affinity with words began. As such, it is an important backstory to this entire blog.
Writing this poem is my earliest childhood memory. It was
written while I attended preschool on the campus of Arizona State University
where my dad would adjunct occasionally in his spare time when he wasn’t busy
with his full-time job as a research physicist for the US Department of
Agriculture at their Water Conservation Laboratory in Phoenix, Arizona.
One day at preschool we learned how to cut out snowflakes from white paper. I
remember being taught about poetry and how the teacher wanted us to write a poem
to go with our snowflakes. This particular poem, however, had a very special rhythm
to the words in each line. I remember counting on my fingers the 5-7-5 syllable
structure of the lines. I kept testing words aloud as I counted on my fingers
with each syllable, over and over again. Even as a young child, I knew when this
poem was “just right.” For some reason, I was overjoyed by the accomplishment of
figuring out this “word puzzle.” My teachers and parents must have loved it too
because I remember getting so many compliments on this poem. I felt like the
Queen of Words. I had no idea that putting words together in just the right way
could be so powerful. I had never even seen snow in real life, but I could imagine. I can still remember imagining this particular snowflake I wrote about in my mind’s eye.
It still seems so strange to me that I can remember this and
pretty much nothing else of my entire preschool experience. In fact, I hardly
remember anything from my entire grade school experience. Wow! Cue the memory
spark!! The moment those words made it from keyboard to page, I remembered a
compliment I received on a line I wrote in my 3rd grade “Squiggle
Book”– which is a story for another day! How interesting that these are the
memories my brain chooses to recall. I suppose it is no wonder I kept writing
and writing all these years.
Not going to lie, when I first saw the title I didn't think that I was going to be able to relate to this post at all because I grew up in the desert and didn't see real snow (the stuff that actually sticks to the ground) until I was in college. However, your story about writing this while in Phoenix and making paper snowflakes literally blew me away because I can totally remember doing that. And now the memory is super vivid.
ReplyDeleteAs for your question, I do have a hobby that started as a compliment, but not in the way you might think. I was actually complimenting my youth leader on a crocheted hat that he was wearing and he offered to teach me how to make my own. I now crochet scarves for my friends and family when I have the free time.
It wasn't until I was an exchange student to New Zealand between my Junior and Senior years of high school that I finally saw the "stuff that actually sticks to the ground" too! ;-) I always thought it was funny that I had to go half way around the world before I finally saw snow with my own eyes. I can't believe you lasted even longer than me and didn't see it until college! I'm so glad the paper snowflakes sparked a memory for you too.
ReplyDeleteI just love how a compliment you gave to someone else prompted that person to share their love of crocheting with you. What an interesting twist of fate to have your complement turned right back around into a gift that kept giving in a "pay it forward" sort of way, since you now crochet scarves for your own family and friends. Can I put in a request?! I want one too! LOL. Seriously, thanks for sharing. I really enjoy hearing your stories too.