For those of you who don’t follow the Poetry Friday loop, this week one of our Poetry Friday crew is retiring, after 37 years in the classroom. Wow. That’s a lot of passion and creativity – and kids inspired!
Mary Lee’s friend and blog partner, Franki Sibberson, invited us to help celebrate Mary Lee’s dedication with a Mary Lee-themed round of Poetry Friday posts!
Meeting Mary Lee March Madness sparked our 'meeting' And if I'm correct in Recalling your bio, You didn't call yourself a poet. Let's be clear; Even then you were a poet! Even moreso now. How time flies to NCTE 2019; Amid a sea of faces, you Happened past, and I knew – Not a stranger; "Mary Lee!"

NCTE 2021, after that magical moment of recognition and meeting IRL – with the lovely Margaret Simon in the middle.
Congratulations, Mary Lee. Hoping this last day in the classroom is wonderful beyond all imagining, and you embark on this new stanza of your poem with many more memories to cherish.
Christie Wyman at Wondering And Wandering is hosting the roundup today. You’ll find lots to celebrate (and that’s not just poetry!) on her blog. 🥳