March 2024
Sylvia Cavanaugh
cavanaughpoet@gmail.com
Bio Note: After retiring last June, I moved to my hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Now that I am out of the fray, I have been writing poems about some of the memorable people and events throughout my career as a high school social studies teacher and chess club advisor.

Diplomat of the Chess Club

Alyssa soothes tensions, making
everyone feel valued, helping
the underachievers believe
in themselves. She understands
the nature of reality—all pieces 
on the board exist in relationship
to others. Not a white queen, nor 
a black queen, but a queen of heart—
powerful and sometimes vulnerable.

Momma J Lifts Me Up

I am stuck in a dry well
of nightly fear and angst.
Each morning she pulls me up
into my classroom. My friend.
We join hands with Gandhi
and grandmothers and dance 
together down the Ho Chi Minh 
Trail with students.
We honor ancestors.
Our sources are primary.
©2024 Sylvia Cavanaugh
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