Sunday, December 29, 2013

Measure


I want to wish everyone a happy new year. 


This time of year, I get reflective, as many of us do. For my special education certification, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I should be student teaching spring 2015. And I look forward to going to work each day. On the writing front, I'm about to complete my second rough draft this year. While I still don't have an agent, I feel closer with each draft. On the family front, my husband and I will be together 25 years and married for 20 this coming year. At our newish home, both children are finally feeling more part of the community. And they're growing too quickly. My son is now in high school and my daughter is in middle school. I'm going to appreciate the last few years of my family of 4. With that thought, I wrote this poem: 



Measure

Every day he plays those repetitive notes
to that tune I don’t know the name of.
Some days they croon from the clarinet—
Other days they sing from the saxophones.

When he first attempted it the piece, it
hiccuped and coughed and squeaked.
But each day he practiced, the music
ascended, sparkled, and sashayed to the rhythm.

The concert has long passed, so its droning
presence has become a path to newer pieces.
A warming breath, an inhale, exhale—
An intention for his practice makes perfect.

Some days the music is background thrum,
but today the notes soar to renaissance.
This tune is a measure of my son’s progress—
Of composition coming to life with concerted effort.

This everyday, why again, sometimes
ignored tune has measured time in notes,
seconds, minutes, days, years, and so on it goes.
It’s a measure of the man he will become.

And when he does,
I’ll miss the repetitive rhythm
of the way it was.


- Theresa Milstein



Even though winter has just begun, many areas have already been slammed with a few snowfalls. Earlier this year, I wrote a poem about a storm from a  Magpie Picture Prompt. 


Since then, I've revised and submitted it. It now appears in the Winter 2013 edition Halcyon Magazine. You may either read it for free or purchase a hard copy. 


Enjoy! 


Love, Theresa xo






32 comments:

  1. Congratulations on all of the great things that are happening! I'm so happy for you! Thanks for sharing your beautifully written poem. Happy New Year! Xo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awesome that you're seeing the end of the tunnel in your certification program. And writing while you work and raise a family. You're a constant source of inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Natalie, I still have 4 more classes and some observation hours, but I think I can get it all done in about a year. Thank you!

      Delete
  3. Happy New Year, Theresa! Looking forward to great things in 2014!

    By the way, my 20th anniversary will come next year, too. But not for another 12 months. Just had #19 on December 17.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dianne, happy anniversary to you too. I hope you have a great 2014.

      Delete
  4. This all sounds wonderful. I hope 2014 is wonderful for you (it sounds like it will be busy and fruitful).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Medeia, thanks. I hope to keep squeezing writing and revising while doing all my homework.

      Delete
  5. Congratulations on having the poem published! Also, on the light at the end of the tunnel with school!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Libby, thank you. A year is a long tunnel, but it beats the length it used to be!

      Delete
  6. Sounds like you had a good year. Wishing you all the best in 2014! And congrats on the publications!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy New Year, you've got lots to look forward to :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Annalisa, I loved reading your uplifting post about 2013.

      Delete
  8. Congrats on the poem in Halcyon! And I loved your other one. Good luck with your special ed certification! Here's to a great 2014!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a sweet poem to your son. I especialy liked

    It’s a measure of the man he will become.

    And when he does,
    I’ll miss the repetitive rhythm
    of the way it was.

    Congratulations on the poem in Halcyon, too. Good start to a Happy New Year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Elizabeth. I'm trying to slow down and appreciate the here and now.

      Delete
  10. Hi Theresa .. congratulations on being married 20 years, together for 25 - and having two lovely children .. who have great attributes as you attest of your son ...

    Congratulations on always moving forward and learning as you go -while sharing with us ... Happy 2014 - and all the very best for the coming year - Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hilary, thank you so much. I look forward to reading your posts in 2014.

      Delete
  11. Lovely! It's wonderful to watch them grow and become who they were meant to be - but it's hard too! All the best to you and yours for 2014 :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. You are so right to enjoy every minute of kids being at home with you. I'm struggling with K graduating and leaving. It seems like she was just born. Does N know you wrote this poem about him?

    Happy New Year my friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sharon, this must be a hard time. N hasn't seen the poem, but I told him I wrote one.

      Delete
  13. Oh Theresa!! Awwwww what a lovely poem! It captures your son on the verge so beautifully! Thank you!

    Wow - it's totally 2014! Happy happy New Year! Yes, I so agree with you - you ARE totally getting there - there being your goals and dreams from when I started following your blog. You always came across as determined, focused and you so worked really really hard to achieve things and you of all the writerly bloggie pals I follow deserve to succeed! You've not given up, not stopped, not given in! I am so #teamTheresa! You go girl!

    Take care
    x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I didn't even know I had a #teamTheresa! I'm going to have to work even harder to live up to it.

      I wish you the best too. You haven't talked about your writing lately. I wish you a happy and prolific 2014.

      Delete
  14. Love this poem, Theresa. All the best to you and your family in 2014!

    ReplyDelete