CFS and Circles

circles unbroken

at the campfire circle

the fire centers the space, and us,

the dark pushed back by 

flickers of flame, 

smart phone intrusive beams,

and distant stars in the heavens,

connections facilitated by darkness

decreasing the radius of each of our worlds,

libations decreasing distance from others and reticence,

as a school the fire of each student centers us,

each unit, each teacher, each support person

bonded,

as if each of us forms together circle after circle

to hold the light of each child,

to hold in a way to give it air

and allow it to know itself well enough to flame brightly,

the genius we can be as a school

is to know that each connection is vital,

the learner needs to not be alone,

the teacher needs to realize

that each of us is important

and that each of us is but a piece,

a piece of circles that have held the student before now

and will hold the student after us,

when we get together as a staff,

we must work to keep the circles unbroken.

by Henry H. Walker

August 22, ‘15