Almost Ever?

How would your child do in school,
If you didn’t or couldn’t help
with homework?
Almost ever?

If you didn’t or couldn’t provide
the pencils, paper, project boards
and trips to the library?
Almost ever?

How would your child do in school,
If you didn’t or couldn’t acquire
glue, fancy markers, a home computer
and the help to use them?
Almost ever?

If you didn’t or couldn’t make
Sure they’re not hang’n with
The wrong crowd?
Almost ever?

How would your child do in school,
If you didn’t or couldn’t admonish them
to get going on that project,
or make them do poor work over?
Almost ever?

If you didn’t or couldn’t help them
With that diorama or book report
or science fair project or making
that costume for the class play?
Almost ever?

How would your child do in school,
If you didn’t or couldn’t help when
That mean kid said really ugly,
hurtful things or punched or threatened
or laughed at your child?
Almost ever?

If since Kindergarten you were at work,
So you didn’t and couldn’t help them
get up and ready for school?
And they had to do it on their own,
including dressing appropriately,
and remembering lunch and school work,
and the permission slips?
Almost ever?

If YOU didn’t or couldn’t,
Could your child?
Or your child’s school?
Or your child’s teacher?
Almost ever?

There are those children you know,
Whose parents can’t or won’t,
How do those children do it?
Or their school do it?
Or their teacher do it?

Almost ever?

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2 thoughts on “Almost Ever?

  1. If I Walked

    If I walked in the shoes of one of my students
    I would have to

    try to exist between at least three different worlds
    create a meaning from and through confusion
    filter through disjointed and unconnected meanings
    face the unknown in every minute
    risk self
    hold firmly onto myself
    organize towards goals I don’t have context to understand
    wait for a me
    be tense and uncomfortable
    steal away and dance my own dance
    hope for a teacher to unlock the beauty
    navigate between my father mother and my school
    look down and assume a posture of sunmissiveness
    read bits of phonics that sound like counting in japanese
    hurl towards standards like a launched nuclear rocket
    accept a system run by adults lacking the ability to give me context
    sometimes go hungry
    sometimes go alone
    sometimes be embarassed by who I am
    often regret who I am not

    If I had to walk in the shoes of my children I would become a better person. I would understand the way of children looking to us as teachers to make a better and fairer , more caring world.

    Can I walk in the shoes of my children as I work each day to teach them…..

    I loved your poem.Sarah