The contrast, unmistakable,
impossible to overlook:
Teens troubled by a tendency
to blurt things out whenever,
never mind the teacher's talking,
we don't want to be here anyway
and so we have a right to speak.
Discouraging to teachers with the
drive, desire, to make a difference.
The few who come to school prepared
to learn must earn their A's by working
extra hard to plow through all the noise
rude students generate. And then, a blissful
class of four-year-olds, preK's
who sit on brightly colored carpet squares,
crisscross. and listen quite intently
to the story as the teacher reads.
It's upside down. The babies newly
introduced to school so well-behaved,
while those depraved disciples who have
been in class each year becoming less respectful
with each new promotion. Soon
they'll be in high school, if they pass.
I warn them they'll be at the bottom of
the food chain, that the upperclassmen
will devour them if they act this way,
receiving sneers and rolling eyes, but
also thanks for trying. One note, a ray
of hope that some will give a second thought
to trying harder till they too believe the
lies - mean teachers, stupid work, it's
oh so cool to be the ones who always
get in trouble. The babies, though, they
lavish hugs and sweetness, unaware that
darkness wants to drain it by the time
that they are teens themselves. There's
something wrong about the system,
but it changes far too frequently to really fix.
(c) Ellen Gillette, 2014
