Thursday, October 30, 2008

Wordle #2 for ReadWriteWord

I managed to use all the Wordle words: hammock, incense, upon, color, carress, gambol, suck, endure, life, stilts.

This is a true incident that happened at our school yesterday. I know in some parts of the country this is probably a normal occurrence but, in our neck of the woods, it hasn't happened in 30 years.
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The message was written
upon the inside of a stall
in the boys’ bathroom

and it incensed the principal
so much that he called
the police. The writer promised

to bring a gun to school
on 10/31/08 and use it to kill
as many “fuckers” as he could.

It made me wonder
what kind of a life
he’d had to endure,

what caresses he’d missed
out on, what abuse
had sucked the love

out of his soul. How could
the color of his sunshine
be black? What caused

him to slink through
the world like a dung beetle
instead of gambol,

head held high, like a horse
breathing the air
of green meadows?

I’m planning on retiring
in three years
but today I wish

I was already living
in the hammock of our stilt
house in sunny Florida

and not in New Hampshire
under the heavy clouds
of broken kids.
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NOTE: Today, our principal and vice-principal along with the police figured out who wrote the message and apprehended the person. I heard a rumor that it was one of my students and I'm just sick about it.

13 comments:

Andy Sewina said...

Hi Linda, I'm sorry to hear about this, hope it doesn't upset you too much. - Buit what a great way to deal with this in poetry and to manage to write it to the prompt.
wishing you well!
Andy

Anonymous said...

Ooof--what a horrible event. I'm so sorry to hear this happened. "Heavy clouds/of broken kids," yes.

Anonymous said...

oh, dear - on many levels: the poor kid, the quality of your poem, and that line, "the heavy clouds of broken kids." Ai, that line! Fabulous. That's what Robert Bly calls a "leaping metaphor."

Tammy Brierly said...

I'm sorry this happened and that it continues to happen.

What a powerful poem you wrote to express your sadness. HUG

Anonymous said...

oh linda, how painful...

and how well told...

we need you in the classroom...and in the hammock, eh?

Crafty Green Poet said...

I'm sorry that the incident happened, that type of thing is increasingly common, awful.

I really like the lines: How could/the colour of his sunshine/be black

Anonymous said...

As a fellow teacher, my heart goes out for you. When something like this happens, we start thinking where did we go wrong. But Linda, we did not.

Anonymous said...

That ending is really powerful. I decided early on not to become a teacher, as I saw the emotional strain on my parents. It sure is a tough job. Best of luck.

paisley said...

totally awesom close i love that line "heavy clouds of broken kids." that is perfection......

Rob Kistner said...

Wow Linda - that is gripping and seems to ring as a true event.

The writing was splendid.

"under the heavy clouds
of broken kids."

how poignant and disturbing...

...rob

Jeeves said...

Really strong poem. Whats happening to the world?

Anonymous said...

Linda, a powerful poem. How heartsick it makes me. Best to you and your school.

Flassie's Fil'a said...

Lifting Up Prayer for You, Your School and this child whom is really needing help.

I have been reading up on the brain. A lot can effect it. Our brains don't fully develop till we are 25 yrs of age. So we need to protect it.

Brain injury, tumor in a certain part of the brain, can cause people to want to take other peoples lives.

Diet, overgrowth of yeast in the body, drugs,chemicals, even if the spine isn't set right can effect the brain and it's function.

Powerful Poem!

God Bless You and Yours!!!

Linda's Poems