Snapdragons
(For My Daughter)
You came home from school
clutching a bucket
of snapdragons you said
your class plucked today.
I thought you held flowers
but instead, you brought apples
so juicy, so sweet,
an unrivaled treat.
I hope you will grow like
those snapdragon apples,
crispy, not spongy
or soft—with self-doubt,
suitably juicy,
enticing with sweetness,
but firm enough never to be
just tossed out.
Lynn Hess is a retired teacher who taught sixth grade for thirty years. She also conducted weekly poetry-writing workshops for elementary and middle-school students. She loved her work and says she will always be teaching in her dreams. Her poetry has appeared in literary magazines including The Berkshire Sampler, Aeolian Harp, Encore, Blackberry, The Spoon River Quarterly, The Red Eft Review, and others. Where Tigers Roar in Silence, a book of her poetry for children, was published by Lime Rock Press. A mother of two and grandmother of three, she especially enjoys writing poetry inspired by her children and students.
(For My Daughter)
You came home from school
clutching a bucket
of snapdragons you said
your class plucked today.
I thought you held flowers
but instead, you brought apples
so juicy, so sweet,
an unrivaled treat.
I hope you will grow like
those snapdragon apples,
crispy, not spongy
or soft—with self-doubt,
suitably juicy,
enticing with sweetness,
but firm enough never to be
just tossed out.
Lynn Hess is a retired teacher who taught sixth grade for thirty years. She also conducted weekly poetry-writing workshops for elementary and middle-school students. She loved her work and says she will always be teaching in her dreams. Her poetry has appeared in literary magazines including The Berkshire Sampler, Aeolian Harp, Encore, Blackberry, The Spoon River Quarterly, The Red Eft Review, and others. Where Tigers Roar in Silence, a book of her poetry for children, was published by Lime Rock Press. A mother of two and grandmother of three, she especially enjoys writing poetry inspired by her children and students.
