The Variegated Delights of Deja Vu

Monday night, I did an inconsequential good deed: volunteered to officiate at a speech meet at the high school and ended up in deep deja vu..

Speech wasn't an activity when Cascade High was Aquin, though once I wrote a speech, found a sponsor on staff, and went to Senior High to deliver it. What an eye-opener! I felt and certainly sounded like a country bumpkin—the Dubuque kids were far more polished and presentable. Taught me a lesson that remains to this day.

It was obvious that some of the students were having the very same experience as I had long time ago—it's called learning! Tho' one facile performance brought back a resounding success with a Ferlinghetti poem that is still one of my favorites:

“Johnny Nolan has a patch on his ass"
Kids chase him
thru screendoor summers
Thru the back streets
of all my memories
Somewhere a man laments
upon a violin
A doorstep baby cries
and cries again
like
a
ball
bounced
down steps\
Which helps the afternoon arise again
to a moment of remembered hysteria
"Johnny Nolan has a patch on his ass"
Kids chase him

The judge looked at me shocked and said, “Miss McD, I never understood that poem. Thank you so very much.”
That comment taught me why we, the very special students I saw Monday evening do it--the deep desire to share what they know.