Hearts as good 
as grits and gravy, 
passions that run 
like over-easy eggs, 
my first block class 
of seniors
is a heaping helping 
of Heaven Help
with a whole lotta
Gotta love ‘em 
thrown in too.

Scattered, smothered, 
and covered up – 
that’s what they keep me –
along with on my toes
and on my No’s,
but oh-so-many 
Yes-es, too.

We should all be 
this way, their way,
full of pushing ourselves 
and our limits,
pouring our magic 
into this, our magic hour 
in this wild and precious world. 

We should all be grabbing our minutes 
by the forkfuls, the spoonfuls, the plate and bowl and platterfuls, 
with hearts as good as grits and gravy, passions spilling off the edges 
                                                                                        like	
										             over-easy 
											                   eggs.

Before the grit 
and grave
overtake us all.