We Don’t Feel Like Piecesby Steve Wright
There is a list
A list of things that are happening outside Our classroom A space that is Aware of the list But separate A space to experiment with Boundaries, with Intention, with Failure and success Failure after success Iterations ransacking an unknown but actual future Our classroom has a lot of windows Floor to ceiling wooden sash windows They are open There is a breeze We wear hoodies Zaniyah says, “I'll bring a blanket.” Two brand new air purifiers Purifying. 33 faces muffled by masks There is a list A list of things that are happening outside There is a ritual To hot beverages Service is meaningful In our ersatz kitchen We make tea And hot chocolate And Oatmeal Maple, with Brown Sugar We learn Computer Science There is a specific intention required for A forbidden act like Drinking tea at a computer at school while being a sophomore in a pandemic We mock the forbidden Can I say ‘we’? Can I speak for us? I tell them it is ineffective for me to tell them things I’m told to teach them to be good Every teacher trick this year Every scripted move this year Feels like watch repair With frozen fingers. All my strategies are Justifications for My limitations Every false experience I design to explore the intricacies Of things that I tell them are intricate is Time Spent Still Broken We are all broken I feel like I’m holding together pieces I am a piece A part of a whole I can’t see A fractured whole But explicating the seams Tracing the fractures Provoking our vulnerabilities will Make me myopic Make us disjointed There should be a lesson plan We don’t feel like pieces Inevitably falling apart We don’t feel Like pieces I can’t see the future But I know what time does Every smile is a victory Every deep breath is perfection If we can hold this space Actions become intentional Carving stories In relief |
Hear this poem on Soundcloud
About the author: Steve Wright is a father of two and husband. Steve is a high school Computer Science teacher in Oakland, CA. He is 55 years old. He has been other things: Startup, Startup-er; Nonprofit Financial Services, CEO; International Development, VP; Corporate Foundation, Program Director. Steve believes we are each one of many. |