DESPACITO
The good thing about living long enough to become a grandmother is that life gives us second chances to enjoy it. This week I went back to the Puesta del Sol elementary school to give poetry workshops. It's the same school that my little children attended, more than thirty years ago! At that time I was a young mom and my only interest was for my kids to get good grades and behave well. My routine was a swirl of haste and I spent my life running behind time which I could never catch – it ran was faster than a chased hare! I know that the hours and the days run at the same speed but, somehow, I never felt rushed last week. I had a total of 390 students from first to fifth grade and believe me when I say that that I enjoyed each and every one of them thoroughly.
Our theme was animals and the challenge for my students was to choose an animal and write a sensory poem. They could select any type of animal: wild animal, farm, domestic, endangered or even write about abused animals. Almost all my poets chose to write about their pets but there was no shortage of those who preferred to write about the animal that they have always longed for, like a dinosaur.
Ah! How easily they were inspired. And although Spanish is their second language, the classrooms soon were flooded with beautiful words in Castilian that, hand in hand, outlined dogs, lizards, lions and unicorns. There was one blue narwhal and more than one stuffed animals because they are also pets.
Several times when I looked up I seemed to recognize two little ones whose smiles I will never forget. Oh! How I would I wish I could be with them again creating rhymes and writing images of their favorite animals. How delicious it would be to turn back the time and stop the soulless hare and without worrying that the dishes are still dirty in the house, and the beds unmade. Here goes an apology to my boys – to those children who got good grades and who (almost always) behaved well for wasting time on trivial tasks. And to life a BIG THANK YOU for allowing me to enjoy my students and my grandchildren! again. This time around without hurrying. Despacito. Like the song.