This week, my students are drafting speeches about optimism. It can be tough to be optimistic in a world riddled with bullets and mired in unkind speech. In honor of my students, I crafted a brief poem:
Optimism
A finely sharpened pencil scratches
the surface of the white page,
Yes. I can.
Words on the tip of the tongue
begin to tumble in a rush.
Yes. I will.
A phone rings in the dark of night
as an ear attaches to the receiver.
Yes. Of course.
Optimism does not rest in the belief
But in the willingness.
A Reading Life 
This is such a lovely poem! Such a simple, accessible, important message for all! Thanks for sharing!
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Omigosh, I LOVE this! Are you sharing this with your students? So much figurative language!
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I love the last two lines of your poem because it rings so true.
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Yes! Yes! Yes! A poem with the glass completely full! Fun to read!
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Words to live by: “Optimism does not rest in the belief/But in the willingness.” Thanks for sharing!
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I love your alliteration: “Words on the tip of the tongue begin to tumble in a rush.” This is a familiar image indeed!
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I quite love this.
your third verse is especially powerful, as we imagine what might be at the other end of the phone line. We have all been there- needing to say “Yes, of course, I will…” The willingness. You took a fresh look at this idea.
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