Dear Jeanetta Calhoun Mish 2020
As part of the 2020 Dear Poet project, students around the country and the world wrote letters to Jeanetta Calhoun Mish in response to a video of her reading her poem “for michael” aloud. Jeanetta Calhoun Mish wrote letters back to three of these students; their letters and her replies are included below, along with several additional responses from students.
From Lily, Grade 12
Dear Mrs. Jeanetta Calhoun Mish,
My name is Lily, and I am a senior at The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut. In my English class English 12 – Friendship: Tried and True, we were tasked with partaking in the Dear Poet 2020. I listen to and read various poems listed on the site, but when I read yours, I was instantly intrigued and decided this is who I would like to write a letter to.
When I first read your poem, I envisioned Michael standing behind the sill with his palms touching the glass as he watched the hummingbird flutter in the air. But, once I reached the next stanza, I realized the boy trapped inside the window was the hummingbird, not Michael. It’s interesting the way you gave the hummingbird a gender since most people refer to animals with the noun rather than use pronouns (In case this isn’t clear, here’s my elaboration. 1. Look at that turtle over there! Isn’t it huge? Versus 2. I heard there is a coyote out here. We better look out for him.) Is there a particular reason why you did this or am I reading too much into your diction here?
I am quite fond of the lack of capitalization and punctuation in this poem. I was first introduced to this stylistic device in Lucille Clifton’s poetry, and let me tell you, I adore it. It makes the poem feel calm, just like the narrator’s voice as she tells this story for her son. Not only that, but I feel the lack of punctuation makes the few instances of punctuation that much more important; each one has a specific purpose that would otherwise be lost if the whole poem was full of commas, periods, and dashes. This brings me to my question: Does the lack of capitalization and punctuation make you feel free? If it does, is it more liberating than switching from lined paper to printer paper for the first time?
Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed the simple, yet vivid vocabulary you used in this poem. I could picture from the mother picking up the hummingbird and bringing him outside to the moment he flies off. When I was about 6 years old and still lived in Georgia, my family had seen quite a few hummingbirds get trapped near the roof of our carport, yet, since the car port was open on all four sides, contrastingly to your poem, there was no window preventing the hummingbird from the outside. Both instances, the hummingbird gets the help it needs, and those who helped him watch him fly away.
Something about those last two stanzas resonates deeply within my soul; the clarity and conciseness of the final 10 words leave an imprint on my heart. It reminds me of the saying “If you love something, let it go.” In this case, the mother resists her motherly urge to nurture the dear hummingbird and instead lets it go. It’s such a powerful message to leave the reader since it’s something most people struggle with after a breakup or life-changing event.
This brings me to my final question. Has there been an instance in your life where you let something go that you wish you hadn’t?
As always during this crazy time of COVID-19, stay safe.
Best,
Lily
Grade 12
Simsbury, CT
From Kelly, Grade 10
Dear Ms. Mish,
My name is Kelly and I am a sophomore at a school in Houston, Texas, currently taking English II. I enjoyed reading your poem “for michael” because of some things it reminded me of: comfort and letting go of the ones you love.
One line, “the hands you gave me to hold you when you cry,” especially stood out to me. It provides a sense of comfort and motherly love. The unconditional love for your son helps you use it to help the hummingbird. As a mother, you carry and hold your son and try to stop his crying by giving him comfort and making him feel safe. Using the loving hands of a mother, you made the hummingbird feel safe to help it fly again.
The line, “i raised my arms, opened my hands / and hummingbird flew toward the sun” expresses the need to let go of your child so they can live their own life. Eventually, most children will have to move out at some point and learn how to live in the real world and how to support themselves. This can be especially difficult for some parents, not being able to be with their child every day, but they need to learn how to move on. This reminds me of my brother, who is eight years older than I am, leaving to go to college for the first time at the University of Texas at Austin. Even though he did not move too far from home, it was hard for our family. It was strange, different, unfamiliar not having him there every day. It was especially hard on my parents, who tried to call him almost every other day. He insisted that they didn’t need to call him because he is an adult now and can live by himself. It took two or three months, but my family finally adjusted to my brother being away. They let him call us, instead of us calling him almost every night. This was my parents letting him go from the nest and letting him fly on his own.
I really enjoyed reading your poem and I had some questions about it and poetry in general. First, what inspired you to write this poem? Especially the part about the hummingbird flying toward the sun. Is it because you have a child that has grown up and left home to live on their own? Also, why did you decide to write it in all lowercase? Right now, we are doing our poetry unit in our English class and I have a question about writing poetry and performing it. When writing a poem, how do you get inspiration on what to write your poem about? I always struggle with finding something to write about when I try to write poetry. And when performing a poem to an audience, how do you express line breaks or stanzas? Is that something that is done when people perform poetry?
Sincerely,
Kelly
Grade 10
Houston, TX
From Eliza, Grade 7
Dear Jeanetta Calhoun Mish,
I chose to write a letter to you because I felt like I could relate to your poem, and that I could find meaning in it. I especially liked this line of the poem: “I want to tell you this story so you know that the tiniest moments hold the clearest blessings.” We live in a world where everyone always seems to be looking forward, towards the “big picture”. Whether it’s towards tomorrow, five years from now, or two weeks from today, it seems like everyone is always waiting for something, and sometimes, when you’re so focused on tomorrow or “someday”, you miss the beautiful little moments in today, so it’s nice to have that little reminder that even the small moments in life, while they may not seem to have a big impact now, can actually end up changing our worlds in bigger ways than we can imagine. Sometimes the small moments make the biggest difference.
Another thing I liked about your poem was the descriptive language you used. It allowed me to really envision what was happening in the poem in my mind. I felt like I could actually see you lifting up your hands to let the hummingbird fly away. On the topic of letting the hummingbird fly away, that reminded me of my childhood, when I would catch lightning bugs in my hands and then let them fly away. It was always a bittersweet moment, when my mom called my siblings and I inside and we had to let the lightning bugs fly up and away into the sky. Sweet, because it was rather magical how they flew away, blinking their neon green lights back at us, but also bitter, because we had to let them go when we wanted to hold them for just a little longer. I like to imagine that letting the hummingbird go was a bittersweet moment for you, too. Maybe letting it go reminded you of letting go of something else, something precious to you. But I suppose we all have to let go of things we love eventually.
Now, I certainly don’t know if this is right, because it is not my poem, but my interpretation of your poem was that you were telling this story to your child, who was not really a child anymore, probably all grown up and living on their own, but you were telling this story to them to show them that, like you said, “I have learned to let go” because maybe you tried to hold them for just a little longer as they grew up and away. Maybe you had a hard time letting them go, away from you, for the first time, but now you are showing them that you can let go. That things will be okay. I also imagine that the child is Michael, whom the poem is for, and the poem is for him, to show him that you can let go. Letting go can be hard sometimes, I know. And again, I do not know if this was the intended meaning of the poem, this was just the meaning I found in it, and I want you to know that I enjoyed hearing your poem very much.
Most sincerely,
Eliza
Grade 7
Anderson, SC
From Bea, Grade 10
Dear Jeanetta Calhoun Mish,
There are countless things I could say about your poem, “for michael”, but first I need to offer you a thank you. Your poem came to me in a time of need, when being with my family all the time for the past month and a half has reopened old wounds and dragged the worst parts of our relationships out into an unforgiving light. It gave me solace, solutions, and reflection.
The first thing I noticed about “for michael” was the incredibly effective use of language. The lines “in the time of living in the mountains/in the time of waterfalls and rainbows” created such a vivid image of time, I felt like I had been brought back to that place of childhood magic and beauty. My favorite set of lines in the poem were “i scooped him up with my mommy hands--/the hands you gave me to hold you when you cry”. I am not a mother, but I am a sister, and a daughter. I thought those lines so beautifully and simply captured the essence of a familial relationship. Without each other, you are not a mother and your son is not a son. And once you are family, you will be there for each other no matter what-- an especially important idea considering the message the poem is trying to deliver to Michael.
The second thing I noticed about “for michael”, I noticed while annotating the poem with my English class over a Google Hangouts call: the relationship you explore between you and your son reflects that of my sister and I. I had been so taken by the language of your poem that it had taken multiple readings to begin contemplating the actual relationship that was being spoken of. I realized that I was recognizing the feelings from the poem, the someone-chose-a-path-and you’ve-tried-to-stop-them-from-going-down-it-but-you’ve-now-realized-the-best thing-to-do-is-let-go feelings, because I was experiencing them with my sister. Our relationship is something I have been struggling with for my entire life, and a lot of those struggles really culminated in the past couple months. I was introduced to “for michael” a couple weeks ago, and it helped me reflect on our relationship and reassured me that my decision to “let go” of trying to help her my ways and taking the reins in our relationship was the right one. Truly though, the specifics of my relationship with my sister and yours with your son don’t matter; what does is the love that goes into making that decision and the love that endures afterwards.
The third thing I noticed about “for michael” was the format and structure. There is only one period in the entire poem, in the line “he was trapped inside a window.” Why put one there? Is it representing how trapped hummingbird is by trapping him in that sentence? Or is it signifying the end of the childhood magic in the memory? Seven lines from the end of the poem, you begin indenting. Why? Is this signifying the end of the memory? Or highlighting the parallels between you and your son, and you, your son, and hummingbird? Lastly, why is it all in lowercase? I read some of your other poems and they were a mix of capitalization and all lowercase. So what went into the decision for all lowercase in this poem?
Thank you. The words, ideas, reflections, people, places, images, and beauty of this poem have snuck off the screen of my computer, slunk over to my heart, and settled there for what I suspect will be a very long time.
Sincerely,
Bea
Grade 10
Arlington, MA
From Gracia, Grade 11
Dear Jeanetta Calhoun Mish,
Hello, my name is Gracia, and I’m a junior attending school in Maryland. I am the type of person who loves to bask in the arts in its various shapes and forms like literature, art, or even film. As a junior, I feel pressured to know what it is I want to do in the future. I remember how often I used to wallow happily in my creativity and I always feel a hurtful pang when I remember how disconnected I am from something I used to have so much passion for. I often wonder if I can ever feel that passion again and if I should pursue it in college. When I dedicate a moment for art, like the time I took reading “for michael”, it reignites a little light in me and a forgotten voice reminds me of the beauty in art; it is the same voice that serves as a delicate inspiration of what I want to be able to craft with my mind and hands.
The poem “for michael” really struck the emotional chord in me (which is surprising because I have the emotional range of a spoon), especially because I am no stranger to loss— at least not anymore. I think it’s clear that the things I mentioned previously is a loss, but there have been harsher things. I’ve lost my best friend and my grandmother. The poem reminded me of the bitter sweetness that is losing someone you loved. The last stanza evoked this perfectly; I found to be the most heartfelt moment in the piece. I love how just a few lines can capture such a feeling: reminiscing warm memories in a kind reverence and learning to let it go. When reading the line, “so you know that the tiniest moments/hold the clearest blessings”, I smiled a little. I have come to realize how important it is to cherish every moment with your loved ones because even the most insignificant moments hold a value greater than any jewel. I have come to terms how loss changed my life; how did it change yours? For the better or the worse? I loved the way you used imagery and diction to paint an image so profoundly peaceful and forgiving. Thank you for writing a piece that voices this experience; it birthed a thoughtful moment of reflection. I admire your talent and I look forward to reading the rest of your works. I would be ecstatic if you took a look at our school and thought about visiting one day!
Sincerely,
Gracia
Grade 11
Takoma Park, MD
From Ryan, Grade 7
Dear Ms. Mish,
I wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that I have read your poem “for michael” so many times that I have memorized it. Your poem really fascinated me, so much so that I have even tried to illustrate it to gain a better understanding. I think I liked your poem so much because there are so many ideas and concepts that morph together to form a mysterious, beautiful, and emotional final result. Each time I read it, I am left wanting more, which is why I have read it over and over again. It connected with me because I also believe those small moments matter the most, and teach the best lessons. I can heavily relate to this because I truly treasure every last moment in which I interacted with my late grandfather, even if it was just saying goodnight or bringing him a glass of water.
I think the poem is about a mother and son in a bad situation and savouring the tiny moments that they had. I think something dreadful has happened to either them or the world, because of the line, “in the time of living in the mountains/in the time of waterfalls and rainbows.” To me, this suggests that the mother is talking about the days in which they felt like they were on top of the world. Also at the end, you wrote, “so you know that the tiniest moments/hold the clearest blessings/i want you to know/i have learned to let go.” This is teaching michael that you need to be grateful for what you have, savour every moment, but also be ready to let go and move on.
The line that made me choose this poem was, “and you gently caressed his feathers/shimmering iridescent in the late afternoon light/outside, under a trembling aspen.” I appreciate imagery, and this is one of the most effective examples I have ever read. It makes this poem easy to picture, and adds another layer onto it. I also loved the last line, “ i want you to know/i have learned to let go.” This is what inspired me to keep thinking about it since it is such a mysterious way to finish the poem. It leaves you hungry for more of this poem, which is an effect that all poets should want their poems to have.
I think this poem also shows that everyone needs help. In this situation, hummingbird is slowly withering away, but someone picks him up and helps him soar. I think this is a metaphor for the effect that one person can have on a life. I think it also symbolizes humanity’s willingness to help, and it’s instinct to be kind.
I have several questions for you. The first one is what inspired you to write this poem. Was there a certain event in your life that made you want to write this? My second question is what made you decide to not capitalize any letters in this poem. I find it incredibly fascinating that you didn’t capitalize anything, because I think “hummingbird” might be a name or a metaphor for something or someone, but it’s impossible to tell since there are no capital letters. My third question is: if you had decided to write one more stanza in this poem, how would you phrase it? I think you did an excellent job in compacting all of those thoughts and emotions into your poem, but I am curious to know what else you would add, or what other themes you would append. My final question is: why did you begin with “listen:”? I admire the structure of this poem, and I think beginning with “listen:” was a stroke of genius.
Thank you for inspiring me,
Ryan
Grade 7
McLean, VA
From Emma, Grade 10
Dear Ms. Calhoun Mish,
When I read your poem, “for michael” I was immediately taken by the intense imagery that you use in remembrance of your son: “and you gently caressed his feathers shimmering iridescent in the late afternoon light outside, under a trembling aspen.” This image that you created allows me to imagine the sweet boy who is sympathetic through the way that he treats the bird with such ease and care. I feel connected to this character because I have a brother who is extremely sympathetic and has an extensive love for all people and animals. I can vividly remember one time my family was gathered in our living room in Montana, when a bird flew straight into the window. My brother rushed outside and cradled the bird, like his own child. He brought the bird back into the house and asked my mom so innocently: “mommy, is it going to die?” He sat by the bird for about 30 minutes waiting for it to build up the courage to get back up again, and it did. I don’t think that he remembers this, but I was flooded with this memory as I read the poem.
This poem beautifully describes the responsibility that women hold as they experience motherhood, and the pain that they experience when their children leave the nest. “I scooped him up with my mommy hands— the hands you gave me to hold you when you cry.” I think that oftentimes society under-emphasizes the importance of mothers in our emotional success, and our success as human beings. Studies from PsyBlog suggest that parents who respond to their children’s signals promptly and appropriately, provide a secure base for children to explore the world later in life. This poem evokes the depth of children’s hold in their mother’s hearts, and has taught me that I need to appreciate my mother and the things that she does for me more often.
I love the power that this line holds: “so you know that the tiniest moments hold the clearest blessings” The enjambment of these two lines offers a sense of clarity for me as a reader. This line helps reinforce the main idea of healing, and I think that with this break between lines, the meaning of the poem as a whole is able to just flow seamlessly. Personally, I know that loss is one of the hardest things to experience, and the most difficult thing to overcome; however throughout this poem I saw such an overwhelming and inspiring sense of growth as you learned to let go of the pain that was holding you back. This made me wonder, did writing this poem help you on your journey of healing? And can we really heal as human beings, or does the pain of loss stick to us like a leech that continues to take from us until there's nothing left? This poem inspires me to change my outlook on life, and be more appreciative of the things that I have. You chose to reminisce on the wonderful things that you and your son were able to experience, instead of focusing on what you will miss now that he is “flown,” and you have inspired me to do the same. Thank you for changing my perspective forever.
Sincerely,
Emma
Grade 10
Houston, TX
From Aahil, Grade 9
Dear Jeanetta Calhoun Mish,
My name is Aahil, and I am a freshman. I happened to choose your poem out of the 24 poems shared this year for the Dear Poet project. Thank you for sharing your poem for michael. Reading it reminded me of my childhood experiences, especially the relationship I have with my mother. It also made me realize how important special moments in life are.
The speaker of the poem starts by saying "listen: / one day when you were three," showing that the speaker is reflecting an event that happened in the past. It grabbed my attention and it also reminded me of an adult speaking to me. Is that why you started the poem with “listen”? The speaker then describes the setting of the poem, saying, "in the time of living in the mountains / in the time of waterfalls and rainbows." It creates feelings of both happiness and tranquility. It also reminded me of how I looked at nature as a child. Everything looked light, colorful, and beautiful back then. Does this imagery relate to the mountains and waterfalls of Oklahoma? Then, the poem shifts emotionally into a sad and hopeless feeling, as the speaker says, "hummingbird was lost— / he was trapped inside a window. / fallen to the corner of the sill / his body heaving." I noticed there was no article for the word hummingbird and that it sounded more like a person than a bird. Does the hummingbird represent someone?
Then, the uplifting moment of the poem occurs in the next stanza. The lines, "i scooped him up with my mommy hands— / the hands you gave me to hold you when you cry," are my most favorite. Throughout my childhood, I would always remember the moments my three-year-old self had with my mom. This one line reminded me of when I was particularly scared and upset one day, and my mother was there to hold my hand and comfort me with her “mommy hands”. In this line, I also realized that in the poem "you" is the speaker's child. After these lines, the stanza continues with remarkable imagery of the scene. I can clearly see the speaker's child touching the hummingbird, and can imagine the speaker letting go of the hummingbird under the aspen on that afternoon.
The last stanza is when the speaker comes back to the present, and the emotion becomes neutral again. This is when the speaker says, "the tiniest moments / hold the clearest blessings / i want you to know / i have learned to let go." These two lines made me ponder on the poem's meaning as a whole. Did the hummingbird remind the speaker of their child? Did letting go of the hummingbird symbolize that it was time for the speaker to let go of their child?
I enjoyed the beautiful imagery and symbolism in this poem, and there were many little details I noticed as well. I liked that the entire poem and its title were lowercased. Is there a specific reason as to why? Some lines, like the last stanza, are also indented in the poem. Were they indented to create emphasis? Lastly, does the speaker represent you? Who is Michael, and is he the child in the poem?
Once again, thank you for submitting your poem for the Dear Poet project! Its simple yet meaningful style truly touched me as a reader and taught me an important lesson. Your poem made me realize that the simplest moments in life can teach the greatest lessons. It also taught me that even the most beautiful things in life, even the things you love, must be set free. Thank you for your poem, for michael.
Regards,
Aahil
Grade 9
Troy, MI
From Camila, Grade 11
Dear Jeanetta Calhoun Mish,
I recently read your poem, “for Michael”, as part of the amazing poetry unit in my creative writing class. Your poem gave the recent Mother’s Day holiday a new perspective for me, and it was exactly what I needed in the trying times we are living through.
As a junior in highschool, starting to make decisions about going away to college, your poem reminded me of all the memories and love I am going to carry with me when I embark on new journeys away from my parents. It's definitely a bittersweet feeling to realize the things you will miss once you start to become your own person, once our parents have “learned to let go.”
The first time reading your poem, the close relationship you portrayed was so heartwarming and special to read. Even through my computer screen, your words about the hummingbird’s “shimmering iridescent” feathers as you “scooped him up with your mommy hands” transported me into this scene, and I felt how special that lesson and story were for you, just as they are for billions of mothers and children around the world. We really are nothing without the lessons our parents have taught us: the good and the bad.
I also noticed parallels between the hummingbird’s story and my own. There are times in my life where, like the hummingbird, I have “fallen” and been “trapped” in the situations I dealt with. I am fortunate that my own mother is the first to pick me up and push me to flourish and fly “toward the sun” as I accomplish my goals.
To further my understanding of the poem, I also wanted to ask you, is the story about the hummingbird true, or did it come from the inspiration provided by the lesson you wanted to teach your young son? How does your family inspire your poetry and writing in general? What else do you find inspiration in when the “blessings” are not so evident?
Thank you for the beautiful poem. I hope to keep the words with me in my future travels and use them to help me grow.
Sincerely,
Camila
Grade 11
Miami, FL