Just a teacher... my poem

I'm a friend, a brother, a lover, a son, 
A father, a mother all rolled into one.
A husband, a wife, a partner, a carer,
But all of that simply must wait til later,
Because, first, I'm a teacher.

I love making music, I love baking cakes, 
I'd love to have time to go out dates, 
I just wish my job was a little bit fairer,
But all of that stuff simply must wait til later,
Because, first, I'm a teacher.

I'm human, not an object, a person of faith, 
I pray for my students, God let them be safe,
God give them courage and help me to share,
Even when they are angry, lashing out 'cause they're scared.
Because, first, I'm a teacher.

Yes, I have regrets, the personal loss,
As a mathematician I've counted the cost.
The feeling of failure, the feeling of doubt,
It's palpable but something I'm never without.  
Because, first, I'm a teacher.

So next time, you're dropping the kids off at school,
Or in a lecture and say something cruel,
To a person who gives you their all every day,
For the honour of helping you and your loved ones today, 
Remember, they're not just a teacher
________

I wrote this poem today.  It took me about an hour.  But, after a difficult week, thinking about a lot of stuff I wanted to say something about the work I've been doing for the past 22 years and why I keep going.  

Comments

  1. Anonymous18 September 2022 at 11:46

    Mclean this is really brilliant! Keep on keeping on my friend xxx

    ReplyDelete

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