National Adult Literacy Database

February 17, 1997

Helen Penner is an adult learner at the Pembina Valley Learning Center in Winkler, Manitoba. She is there for retraining because she could no longer do the work she was doing before. Helen started at this center in December. Helen does palliative care about once a week. She has a daughter who lives with her. Helen enjoys baking, cooking and needlework.

The Blue Jay

by Helen Penner

I enjoy the blue jays in the winter. They are noisy and aggressive. The blue jay is blue in color and has a crested head.

The blue jay stores food by burying acorns. I can relate to that. I learned to store vegetables and fruits for the winter that I grew in my garden in the summer.

A blue jay flies across open space one at a time. They do not fly in a bunch.

Sometimes in life we people also have to fly on our own. It might be to our benefit to take a risk at a new job or to move to a new place to live.

A blue jay flies steady and slowly on a level plane.

If we go steady and slow with a sensible attitude about difficult situations and trials, we are sure to get through.

A blue jay is not always liked by other birds because of its aggressive behavior. They will rob other bird's nests. They will take eggs from nests of other birds.

We people are not the same either. We have different personalities. Some of us are more aggressive than others. Some of us are more of a listener than a talker. If we can remember to treat the next person like we would like to be treated, this world would be a better place to live.

[This poem was used with permission from Helen Penner and the kind people at the Pembina Valley Learning Centre, Winkler, Manitoba].