Author Archives: Devon Riley

A dream At school, M stabs? Or shoots? Madison in the chest. It is like a modernist Shakespeare play – no weapon, no blood. But the intention, all the emotion, the charge of an essential relationship flipped over … to reveal a sudden moment’s impulse that cannot be reversed. It’s all very much school –Continue reading “June 26”

I  took  a bottle of  water Found open and undrank In a familiar workspace Call it my classroom Everyone does I  Carried it outside, where a  Dogwood blooms in a cement sea The leaves were already radiant  With rain I  emptied the  water Over the tremulous branches A miracle!  Touched a leaf I  love you!Continue reading “June 20”

Waking from dreams in the garage surrounded by my intimate family to crow calls and those red poppy explosions again. In the dream, I was asking people – a child being forcibly dressed for her dance recital, a man doing grunt work for an extraction company in a destroyed field – “If women ran theContinue reading “June 13”

The careful student says what she knows and not more than that. She listens for what she seeks to understand My name is Devon Frances Riley. I identify as a woman; a white, cis, queer mother. Pronouns: she, her. They is fine, too. I have a student who’s been using ‘they’ all year for me,Continue reading “May 29”

The private class I taught Saturday (before everything fell apart?) was as concise a transmission of the core points of my work as I can remember… Most people are as strong as they need to be to be able to do what they want to do. It is accessing and utilizing that strength that isContinue reading “April 16”

Clara is so so sick. Again. She has lost her faith. All she can do is suffer and endure. She doesn’t trust her body, or my love. Last night, in the fevered dark, she repeatedly, insistently, told me that I don’t love her. Not really. “You hate me because of what I do.” I assuredContinue reading “April 15”

Unwrapped, unrolled the rug. Cut camellias from the squatter yard. Made the crudite tray, twice. Popped the popcorn, dressed it well. Put things away, wiped counters, swept. Greens to the bunnies. There is a sleepover birthday party happening right now, but I’m not in charge. I can hardly stand to be in the zone. SoContinue reading “April 6”

I want to come out here by saying that I am considering for myself how I can continue to show up in this group. I am at my limit in a lot of ways and especially, after our last meeting, I am struggling to maintain a sense of possibility around anti-racist work in the largerContinue reading “March 25”

Oh, the intersection of trauma and systematic oppression.  It is hard to hear my students talk about the medications they are on. Increasing levels, loss of appetite, increased appetite, vomiting. Sleeplessness, nightmares, anxiety. The imperative to stay still! To tolerate long hours indoors with many children and few adults; to do what you are toldContinue reading “March 8”

REFLECT:  Catalog carefully the primary voices that informed you as a person and shaped your thoughts and values in these areas: Your closest friends Mentors or people you’ve looked to for guidance Teachers/Bosses/Advisors who impacted your learning or career path Authors of the books you’ve read in the last year Comprehensively list them and noteContinue reading “March 3”