Some people find it odd that “my” library is at the end of the wing where the music department has some of their classrooms. When the air conditioning is on we close the doors, but for much of the year sounds from the band room make their way to my desk and I love it. Wednesday afternoons the jazz band plays and it’s my favorite day of the week to listen. Our teachers are so good at what they do – exposing students to music, cultivating their talents, inspiring their efforts. It truly never ceases to amaze me.
This time of year, our students are working hard to prepare for various concerts and performances and the song selections include graduation favorites such as Pomp and Circumstance, a tune that never fails to make me feel nostalgic. Hearing this song is an audible reminder that the school year is almost over, that it’s time to mark both an ending and a beginning, and it is music to my ears.
The clear delineation of the calendar is one the greatest perks of teaching for me. I’m the kind of person who appreciates a new academic year, a new semester, a new quarter, a new week and a new day because each of these milestones comes with an opportunity to start anew. I’ve always loved flipping a calendar to an entirely new month of days and a brand new notebook never failed to inspire me to attempt to do my best work. There’s always a fresh beginning for which to look forward, something different coming our way.
In the past couple of days two people whom I’ve admired and been inspired by, found themselves unable to survive the thought of another day of living. They were in a place so dark and so sad that they couldn’t see that the next day, or even the very next moment, provided another chance to start again.
As we get ready to witness the commencement of another class of students and send them off to their next life chapter, I worry that we’re creating a culture where music and books aren’t thought to belong together, but success, depression and suicide are. What are we teaching these kids? When do they get to connect – with one another and not the WiFi network? We have dozens of devices designed to facilitate conversation but no one’s really communicating.
We need to slow it down and start listening better. This is a health crisis and we can do better. Listen.
DelSo 
NOW LISTEN
(for the NSA & in tribute to Vladimir Mayakovsky)
Listen – now Listen
it’s not what the poet says
that these men listen to
it’s not the Cloud in Pants
that these men listen to
not the poem –
These men Listen, but
not because the Poet
found the sun too boring
after he discovered electricity
These men Listen –
to the Poet speaking
not to the poem
to the Poet
who could wrestle these men
to the ground, who could
kick their butts & send them
running – but another President
finished him off,
and said,
“They’re speaking Russian
they must be spies.”
“They’re speaking Chinese
they must be spies.”
“They’re speaking Urdu
they’re speaking Farsi
they’re speaking Persian
they must be Terrorists.”
“They’re speaking Arabic
they might be – friends?
or terrorists?”
“They’re speaking the language
of stars of desires of guns
& nouns & the pluperfect subjunctive
they’re talking about buildings
& roads & bridges & factories
— they’re dangerous
you can’t trust them
we must Listen –
it makes us safer –
right?”