#MarvelousMaryLee #PoemsforMaryLee

This week, I'm joining Christie (Happy Birthday!)

and a whole bunch of Poetry Friday friends,

celebrating the career of my dear friend,

Teacher and Poet Extraordinaire,

Mary Lee Hahn.

Earlier this week, a good friend gave me Linda Sue Park's terrific new book,THE ONE THING YOU'D SAVE. It's a short novel in verse. Each poem is a sijo, a three-line Korean poem, with thirteen to seventeen syllables per line. THE ONE THING YOU'D SAVE starts out:

“Imagine that your home is on fire. You're allowed to save one thing.

Your family and pets are safe, so don’t worry about them. 

Your Most Important Thing. Any size. A grand piano? Fine.”

I used THE ONE THING YOU'D SAVE as inspiration for my #MarvelousMaryLee poem. 

"If My Home Was On Fire…"

If my home was on fire, I would take my Mary Lee collection.

A million quiet kindnesses, gathered over fifteen years.

Another million life preservers, tossed to a woman drowning. 

If my home was on fire, I would take my Mary Lee collection.

Those first emails, when I was trying to start a blog and boldly

 contacted the only blogger I knew, repeatedly, to ask stupid questions,

and Mary Lee responded, graciously, again and again. 

And I would take the introductions to a zillion opportunities--

friendship with Franki, CYBILS, Poetry Fridays--

doors opened, connections made, relationships formed.

If my home was on fire, I would take my Mary Lee collection.

The red velvet cupcakes carried in a shoebox from Burlington

consumed in minutes by my football-loving high school sons.

A decade later my oldest still asks when Mary Lee will visit again. 

And I would take the memories from walks at the Botanic Gardens,

I watched as she changed lenses, leaned in, marveled,

drew extraordinary from what had been previously only ordinary.

If my home was on fire, I would take my Mary Lee collection.

I would take the CD of hopeful songs

sent from Ohio in one of my most un-hope-filled times  

I would take pieces because I played the CD so many times, it broke.

And I would take reminders of April Poetry Month when Mary Lee

created community, dreamed up themes, posted prompts,

and we all sat around, roasting marshmallows at her poetry bonfire. 

If my home was on fire, I would take my Mary Lee collection.

I would take my frantic pandemic emails, sent last March

to the most famous teacher I know, when I was feeling totally lost.

Her calm responses- schedules, ideas, formats. Cow pictures? Who knew?

And I would take retirement ideas. Start thinking now, Carol.

Do the things you love. Plan new chapters. Dream big.

And so I have Rooney. Write poetry. Imagine art classes.

If my home was on fire, I would take my Mary Lee collection.

(c) Carol Wilcox, 2021