My birthday this year was on a Sunday, and Sundays are a work day for me. At 9:30 am the children showed up for their theater class. When they found out that it was Ms. Clara's birthday, they all gave me hugs. We sang and danced and did crazy things like playing rhythm with chopsticks, wooden spoons and even an egg beater. Then the older kids showed up. Now we went into full gear of mental derangement, reciting Langston Hughes' simple April Rain Song pretending to be munchkins, monsters and zombies. I liked monsters the best. The girls from the 3rd class decided to write a play. It was to be a murder mystery and I'm not allowed to leak the details. At 4 o'clock we had our monthly open mic. Oh what a crowd of musicians, poets, singers, hula dancers and even an erhu player! For one moment it was the happiest corner on earth and we have photos to proof it!
Here's a poem written by Pat Nishimoto:
The cauldron bubbles with the letters of the alphabet
Creative Clara draws from the sizzling cauldron
and conjures her thoughts, words, images with these letters.
Poetry, lyrics, lines fill the silence with delight.
Her talents are never ending as she continues to form.
Born in the Year of the Monkey – witty, clever, crafty and quick to act.
Beware, beware of this fun loving prankster as a “fake ball” can appear!
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Thanks Pat and everyone here and there for this unforgettable day!
Photos by TsaTsa and Pat Nishimoto.
Video by Tsa Tsa.