October Poem of the Month

The Red Wheelbarrow

by William Carlos Williams

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

Everybody had read or heard this poem before, I know, I know. But I have always liked the celebration of simplicity in this poem and the recognition that there are basic things we depend on in life. Sometimes we just need to focus on those basics. Plus, given the business of this month, I needed something short and simple. And, really, this month, I've felt like the red wheelbarrow--like so much has depended on me and that I've been glazed over by rain or stress. But, thankfully, the rain/stress does not last and the normalcy will return. I do want to remember our goings and comings this month, so I'll list them for posterity:

• a red-eye flight and 4 days in Massachusetts, painting, shopping, relaxing
• a week of fall break and 3 half-days for the kids
• football and piano and cub scouts for Mister
• soccer and dance and piano for Sweetie
• a ba-jillion birthday parties for the kids
• Mister's school musical
• the Western States Literacy and Rhetoric conference for me
• cub scout academic fair
• a baby shower to throw for a friend
• the teacher appreciation dinner at school to help with
• the fall festival/trunk or treat at church to attend and make food for
• Halloween with its costumes to find/make
• one bout of the stomach flu