A Poem

The other day a friend gave her daughter a challenge to write a poem starting with this line:
Gumption and Gusto to get through the goo...

This line is circulating now and I thought I'd take up the gauntlet and try my hand at it.

Hitting 3 g's

Gumption and gusto to go through the goo,

It’s become such a habit what else would I do?

Push the chair up the lane when the battery’s low

Or the wheels are spinning in un-shovelled snow.

Get up nice and early day after day

To call ParaTranspo to take us away

Hitting the redial time after time

Only to get through and be told “hold the line.”

Standing and waiting and pacing the floor

I start my day “right” praying ten minutes or more

“Lord, help me get through before there are no more rides,

and we can’t get a bus where we chose to abide.”

I’m sure Franklin Agenda has not a clue

Double bookings are actually easy to do.

One kid goes here and one kid goes there

And mom is left standing pulling her hair.

Is supper at five or is it at nine?

We’ll eat when we eat so please don’t whine.

SHEP and Arise, and LPB

PT’s and OT’s and CCAC.

OYOA, and Para, Propeller and more

My brain’s in a whirl from our revolving door.

The week’s almost done

We have math left to do

And sewing and Spanish, and clarinet too

Being a homeschool Mom is a busy career

And some would say even a little bit queer.

White canes and wheelchairs, ensemble and ballet

Foot braces and hair buns fill every day

So, gumption and gusto to go through the goo?

Goo is a plenty but recall the first two.

Gumption is gutsy, its courage and spunk

It’s carrying on when the rest would say “bunk.”

Gusto is fervor and passion and heart

No one but Mom can do that part.

So despite the disability, distractions and duty

Even in discipline and dyslexia there's beauty

Hence, there’s no place like home

No one I’d rather be,

Than the homeschooling Mom

Of this special family.

Glossary of terms:

SHEP - Science, History Enrichment Program (a homeschool co-op)

Arise - A Christian ballet school

LPB - Les Petits Ballets (a performing company ballet school)

PT - physiotherapy

OT - occupational therapy

CCAC - Community Care Access Centre where we have a PSW (personal support worker)

OYOA - Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy

Para - ParaTranspo (the Ottawa bus system for people with disabilities that both my daughter and I use)

Propeller - the Dance Company with which my oldest daughter works. 

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