I am the pollinator
as I sit on my
three season porch,
studio, and now classroom.
This early morning
The light fragrance
of skunk permeates
the air, a harbinger
of spring and
the end of hibernation.
I am hibernating inside
my house like everyone else,
but I can hear the birds
start to chirp every morning.
I walk my dog and drink in
the daffodils along the block,
the wisteria I’m rooting,
in a crystal vase
in my living room.
The hyacinths my son
optimistically bought me.
I am the pollinator of minds,
with my strange new way
of teaching “remotely.”
I work to be anti-remote.
I work to give my students
encouragement in a time
in which words can
still inspire and fertilize.
I am the pollinator of young
hearts. Giving more than I get.
Cherishing what little my
teenagers have available to give.
Who knows what their lives
are like right now. I accept
any responses as extra credit
and try to boost their morale
and mine.
I am the pollinator
and my students
are my flowers.
-Judith Katz
Judith J. Katz is the Lead Teacher for Creative Writing at Coop High School in New Haven, Ct. Her poetry has been widely published and she has been writing a poem a day since schools closed 52 days ago. She is grateful to Tiny Seed for inspiring this poem, written on Day 25 of quarantine. It is dedicated to my students whether they are in contact with me or not. They are never far from mind.