Donna, Diane, and Barbara
Reflection on the 1986 PhilWP Invitational Summer Institute I
by Barbara Bennon Orlan
The three of us, “three musketeers”, what a crew!
Donna, Diane, and Barbara too
We met two plus decades ago in a place
Where we went on our own, with some demons to face.
Three young women had gone on a mission to see
Who they really were and who they could be.
When challenged by thoughts that were then quite unique
We went in quite certain we never would speak.
On the campus of Penn we took our first steps
We never looked back nor had any regrets
The first writing institute given right there
Who knew if we had any good thoughts to share?
Then Susan Lytle entered our lives
And lo and behold to our great surprise,
We entered this world that she opened to us,
Filled with concepts and issues which we would discuss.
We talked and we wrote like never before
And Susan, well Susan, we came to adore
We worked with the others, a talented pool
Of teachers, administrators, the best from the schools.
We bonded like sisters, awash in delight
With the ideas that we had which now could take flight
Once isolated in classrooms, we now were set free
To take on the establishment, how proud were we!
We talked and we wrote more, gave each other support
We created our very own special cohort.
We presented and met and videotaped
And even described what we did at Penn State!
We dared and we tried and we put ourselves out there
Always knowing there were others with whom we could share
We now had a network and it now had a name
We became part of PhilWP and were never the same!
We taught in our classes
And taught in our regions
And most certainly affected
The teaching of legions.
But even though we were then to part ways
Our friendship was deep in so many ways
That here we are now, meeting after some time
Sharing memories and moments over glasses of wine.
Children who were once only thoughts are now grown
Our spouses we’ve just left behind or back home
And we laugh as we sit and enjoy dinner here
With friendship that’s kept strong, for many a year.
Here’s to PhilWP and Susan and Andrew and Penn
And all of the others from those good times then
But mostly here’s to us, the three friends true
Donna, Diane, and Barbara, too!
Barbara Bennon Orlan retired from Wilson Middle School in 2005. Barbara joined the Philadelphia Writing Project in 1986 as a teacher consultant.
Barbara wrote this poem in August 2009 as a reflection on the friendships forged during the inaugural PhilWP Invitational Summer Institute I.