Today was the day

As many people know, I have my students write and perform a poetry play every year. We start the first week in September by responding to a specific theme. This year's is "Dear Mr. President." Then, mid-year, I take the best writing from all seventy-five students, and combine it into a play, a play with a discernible arc that leads the audience through silliness, hopefulness, sadness, and dream-wishing. In February, the kids get their parts, and then work on them until they reach the root of intent. This can take much cajoling, modeling (sheesh, what a word in teaching), and risk-taking. In the spring, we finalize songs and begin the background artwork. It's a massive amount of effort under exacting circumstances; an unbelievable number of people are involved. I am not sure why we keep going, but perhaps the kids can feel the solid work of beauty rolling to its rightful place.

There comes a day when the poetry play goes from being a puzzle, where all of the various pieces are roaming around the flat surface, inching their way to their positions. Edges clumped with edges, blues with blues, grass with ground. Sun finding its shadow. There comes a day when it all starts to fall into place. Links are made, seams are smoothed, songs have a spirit.

Today was that day. We were in the music room singing the finale song, "All your light" and before the last refrain, the kids sing -- for eight long measures -- the word "shine." It can sound -- it HAS sounded -- like a slow train pulling into a lonely station. But today, the kids just rang, sang it out like a gathering bell. And, for the first time in this nine month process, I felt goosebumps.

I pulled up my sleeve, and showed the kids. Then, of course, they wanted more. They wanted the power to affect someone's instinctive reactions.

I cannot wish for goosebumps, though I have. I cannot summon goosebumps, though I have wanted to. I cannot buy a goosebump anywhere in the world.

They come. They simply come when our bodies know when something magnificent has whisked by.

That happened today. Today was the day.