Dr. Caputo
I don’t think the smile ever left your face
As you led us through Italy at your own special pace
You told us stories of you long ago
We listened intently, it was great, you know?
Your history has grown into a story to hear
A history, when heard, for all to revere
As you retire from Gonzaga, there can be no replacement
People like you are rare because you are a statement
Let me reiterate, you are one for the books
You will be missed, your voice and unique good looks
We thank you wholeheartedly for all that you’ve done
It is time to start retirement as a new type of fun
The Man in the Dream
Back when I was dating
I thought a connection might be
With my current companion
The bond between us was happy
During this brief courtship
I dreamed and thought it was him
I saw myself marrying a man
He was tall, handsome and trim
But, like so many relationships
We soon parted ways
The dream, it stayed in my head
I thought of it for days
Then, one day, my friend met a man
They played in a golf tournament
She couldn’t wait to tell me
“For you, he is heaven-sent.”
I was skeptical but I trusted my friend
We had been friends for a very long time
So, I answered his call to meet him
In the middle of the day, which was prime
I drove to the city, the designated spot
To meet this man of my friend
I parked my car to wait for this guy
Hoping it wouldn’t dead end
As he zipped in, my heart skipped a beat
So I sneaked a peak just to see him
Remembering my dream, I looked up to see
He was tall, handsome and trim
When Courtney Sings
I listen to Courtney sing and it all busts loose
She dances and moves like a wild little goose
The last time I heard her, she had written her own song
And, sang it so well with a voice super strong
She is an inspiration to many for sure
I hope she will continue to also be demure
From all that I see, she is young but so dynamic
An amazing young person who performs quite dramatic
Please don’t change! Your mannerisms are right
Watching you perform is just a pure delight
Elvis Old Bull
I’m writing to you, Elvis, as I know not where you are
It seems your time expired and I can only see so far
You were among the greatest, the best I’d ever seen
Not that I’m a critic, it is just what I really mean
I mean I felt so lucky that I was able to see you play
It was during the high school journey, back in your heyday
As a teacher and coach, it was fun to see it all
I saw your skill as a player, I watched you handle the ball
Somehow your memory won’t leave me, I think of you often, you see
Of all the players I coached, you were not on a team with me
I worked with many great players, I’m fortune for my career
It’s just that you were a legend, in a time when people would cheer
They cheered your amazing talent, a star in the sky shining bright
A star whose light stopped blinking, on a somber and fateful night
Sometimes when I look into the sky, a brilliant star blinks there
I hope it’s you playing basketball, for all of us who care
Jay Daniels: A tribute to Crow basketball legend Elvis D. Old Bull
What Students Have Taught Me
When I began to teach, I learned quickly that things were sometimes not as they seemed. I learned that when a student falls asleep, it might be because the student was tired, not bored, not disrespectful, just plain tired. It was because they didn’t get to sleep, you know, like a missed opportunity. I learned that some students worked at jobs after school. I learned that some students lived in situations that were not healthy. I learned that some students had great parents. And, that some didn’t. I also learned that if I read the test questions to a student who seemed to have a reading problem, the student usually knew the answer. I didn’t know about dyslexia at the time. I just knew that the student knew the answer and I thought he couldn’t read. So, I read to him.
I also learned that some students didn’t live with their own family. Some were in foster care. Sometimes a student might live with a boyfriend. Some were living away from home because the home was uninhabitable. But, interestingly, they still all came to school.
So, I learned to try to look past the surface. I wanted to find a way to see the student as the person, not as anything other than who they truly were. I looked for ways to make school fun. I will always believe that a person learns more if they are having fun, if they are enjoying themselves.
Sometimes when I saw a student’s head on the desk, I would ask the student if they were okay. Then, I let them sleep. I’m pretty sure there are a lot of teachers who would do that. I can hear a teacher reading this and saying, “Yes, I’ve done that.”
But, I also tried to do what was best.
I coached volleyball. I loved it. I was fortunate enough to start a program. We were all beginners, the players and me. When I took the job, my principal told me that my job was to have a winning team. He didn’t tell me that we were supposed to have fun. It was the goal of a varsity team to win. So, I tried to do that. It wasn’t always easy because my players didn’t know what the principal had said to me. They wanted to win because it seemed like the right thing to do. And, they always seemed to play their hearts out. Oh…my…gosh. But, not all players understood that we were playing to win. Some thought volleyball was a club that they could “join.” I never quite understood that. It wasn’t a club. It was a competitive team. Still, it was new and not everyone understood the goal. And, in the back of my mind, I still just wanted to have fun. Oh, and a side note – the program I started – has won 10 state championships. The players have been and are continuing to be phenomenal. And, it does all go back to that, the players, the students.
The memories I have of what students have said to me over the time that I coached would probably fill a book. It was great. Well, most of the time. One student used to call me “Ma’am” and I loved it. One told me “I did just what you told me to do.” This was after she had made a perfect approach and killed the ball. I was thrilled. They actual listened. To me. What an honor. They demonstrated respect at every turn. I loved my players! I loved my students! Ok. So, I have a lot of love in my heart. Just imagine if you are my really good friend…well, kind of like all my students.
I cannot have had a better teaching career. I taught students from kindergarten through college level. How blessed I have been. And, it was fun. Way too much fun. Can you imagine living your life and just having enormous amounts of fun. Well, that’s my teaching life. – FUN. But, it is all because of who I was able to teach – those darn students, and I do love them all. Every single one!!
I could go on and on but I promised myself that I would only write short narratives. So, I’ll skip the part about where the students pushed me into the pool and, no, I was not in a swimming suit.
And, then, I started teaching teachers…yes, that is an entirely different story. And, yes, it is filled with fun…
Happy Birthday, Hubby
I wonder if you know who you really are
You are quite complex, you know
There is nothing simple about you
Not your walk or your talk or even your sense of humor
I’ve never met anyone quite like you
You portray the grizzly bear but underneath is the teddy bear
I never tire of listening to you when you are inflamed by a topic
It feeds your deep desire to know
So, you search and read and learn and continue to search
You are quite complex, you know
I will always be grateful that I met you
And, had this wonderful opportunity to share your life
We have done so many wonderful things together
Traveling here and there
We have experienced the good and the bad
We seem to survive with a better understanding of what is important
It can be quite complex, you know
I knew it wouldn’t be easy to be married to you
But, I don’t think marriage should be easy
It should be an intense learning experience, and it has been
I couldn’t have married anyone other than you, you and I both know that
You touched my inner soul
And, that is quite complex, you know
My love for you is so very deep and so
I wonder if you know who you really are
You are quite complex, you know
There is nothing simple about you
Not your walk or your talk or even your sense of humor
I’ve never met anyone quite like you
You portray the grizzly bear but underneath is the teddy bear
I never tire of listening to you when you are inflamed by a topic
It feeds your deep desire to know
So, you search and read and learn and continue to search
You are quite complex, you know
I will always be grateful that I met you
And, had this wonderful opportunity to share your life
We have done so many wonderful things together
Traveling here and there
We have experienced the good and the bad
We seem to survive with a better understanding of what is important
It can be quite complex, you know
I knew it wouldn’t be easy to be married to you
But, I don’t think marriage should be easy
It should be an intense learning experience, and it has been
I couldn’t have married anyone other than you, you and I both know that
You touched my inner soul
And, that is quite complex, you know
My love for you is so very deep and so
I hope this birthday is special, as special and complex as you are
EKT Writes Poetry and More 