Remembering Jacksonville - Dorothy Fletcher

Dorothy K Fletcher Dorothy Fletcher taught English for thirty-five years in the public schools of Jacksonville, Florida, before she retired in 2007. Along with teaching, writing has been her passion in life. Her poetry has appeared in over 80 literary magazines including Kalliope and Key West Review. More than 20 of her articles have appeared in The Florida Times Union, and she has also had essays and articles published in Coastal Traveling Magazine, Small Press Review, Florida English Journal, Folio Weekly, and Jacksonville Magazine. Several articles by Dorothy can be found in the archives of The Florida Times Union website www.jacksonville.com .

In 1984, she published a children's book entitled The Week of Dream Horses with Green Tiger Press. In October of 2002, she published her first novel, a book about a first year teacher's trials and tribulations teaching in an inner city school based upon her own experiences in the classroom. The Cruelest Months seems to have touched a chord with educators, but anyone who cares about kids will enjoy it as well.

In June of 2005, Dorothy's book Zen Fishing and Other Southern Pleasures was published by Ocean Publishing. Jayne Jaudon Ferrer, author of A New Mother's Prayers says, "Dorothy Fletcher's words reflect a gentle world--one of sunrises and summer berries, shade trees and sweet-scented women, good hearts, good faith, and patient affection. Her images, humor, and insights are painted with a warm patina that softens the heart, soothes the soul and summons a smile. Zen Fishing is itself a southern pleasure."

Dorothy also won First Place the 2006 Robert Frost Poetry Contest sponsored by the Heritage House in Key West, Florida, and was invited to speak at the Library of Congress that same year as part of their Poetry at Noon Series.

In the spring of 2008, Dorothy began a column for The Community Sun section of the Florida Times-Union which dealt with the people, places, and pastimes of Jacksonville in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. The History Press collected these column pieces and the emails that they generated and published Remembering Jacksonville in March of 2010.

To Jill

“No one remembers Shakespeare’s daughter.”

William Faulkner

Cruel drink often colors conversations
between a famous father and a child.
He could care less that,
his words are purest poison
to her young and tender smiles.

The children of famous drinkers learn
early about sticks and stones.
hey steel themselves bravely against attack—
when the bottles are brought out
or at the sound of ice cubes dropping into glass.

These children teach themselves
to ignore all pain, to slip into backgrounds
gracefully, and to let their daddies shine—
Otherwise the painful quips come out
and seek to destroy easy targets.

These poor girls eat oblivion for breakfast,
while their fathers feast upon the glory of fame.
Patiently the children must endure and wait
for more sobering times.

Then, after all the jibes have echoed into sky
and all outrageous fortune has been borne,
and when his snoring signals the end of it—
these daughters whisper almost as in prayer
into the silent corners of their hearts,
“Susanna! Judith! I remember you!”

Dorothy K. Fletcher
2006