Thanksgiving
I am surprised sometimes
by the suddenness of November:
beauty abruptly shed
to a common nakedness—
grasses deadened
by hoarfrost,
persistent memories
of people I’ve lost.
It is left to those of us
dressed in the hard
barky skin of experience
to insist on a decorum
that rises to the greatness
of a true Thanksgiving.
This is not a game,
against a badly scheduled team,
an uneven match on an uneven pitch.
This is Life.
This is Life.
This is Life.
Not politely mumbled phrases,
murmured with a practiced and meticulous earnestness.
Thanksgiving was born a breech-birth,
a screaming appreciation for being alive—
for not being one of the many
who didn’t make it—
who couldn’t moil through
another hardscrabble year
on tubers and scarce fowl.
Thanksgiving is for being you.
There are no thanks without you.
You are the power of hopeful promise;
you are the balky soil turning upon itself;
you are bursting forth in your experience.
You are not the person next to you—
not an image or an expectation.
You are the infinite and eternal you—
blessed, and loved, and consoled
by the utter commonness
and community of our souls.
We cry and we’re held.
We love and we hold.
We are the harvest of God,
constantly renewed,
constantly awakened,
to a new Thanksgiving.
~Fitz
Have a great break. Thanks for all of your good work this semester. No homework until you return!
This is a really cool poem! I really liked the last stanza of it.
This poem was very interesting to read, the poem demonstrates Thanksgiving in many ways. Thank you for no homework.
Thank you for no homework and nice poem
thanks for no home work
It made me even more happy to read this poem once I figured out there was no homework. Thanks! Great poem, hope you have a nice Thanksgiving
All the lines of the poem were good, but I think the last line of the post was the best. NO HOMEWORK!
I really liked your poem. Your last 3 sentences were my favorite.
Great poem. I loved your video but especially your last sentance 🙂
No homework!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! By the way, nice poem, Fitz.
This is my favorite of your blog posts! (Other than the one about us being such a wonderful class…. I’ll admit it made me feel awesom!
Love the poem! Thanks for sharing!
YES NO HOMEWORK, YOU ARE A GOD!!!!
Cool poem!
I feel Thanksgiving is underaprreciated sometimes. It is probably my second favorite holiday.
Thank you so much for no homework! I loved the poem too.
Thanks, Fitz! I’m happy to have no homework! Have a great Thanksgiving!
I thought the last stanza of this piece was especially powerful. Happy thanksgiving, Fitz!
Thanks for being the only teacher not to give me homework, great poem!
I am in Grand Cayman and did not get to see this until now. I hope you had a good turkey day Fitz!
NO HOMEWORK HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! Great poem.
Thank you Fitz for no homework! Happy Thanksgiving!
Love the poem, especially how you wrap it up!
Nice poem.
Quality poem. My favorite part was the second to last stanza.