July 2018
I have been teaching high school for close to thirty years, both in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Sheboygan, Wisconsin. I have advised breakdancing and poetry clubs for several years. The students inspire me every day.
Teaching in America
Yesterday at poetry club a boy cried
because a friend had teased him about
being gay. We all tried to console him
and offer strategies. The boy continued
to cry so a girl suggested they all tell cat
stories. The poets told tales of amusing
feline antics. Soon the boy found a photo
of his gray cat to share with us and acted
out a scene involving his cat puffing up
and dancing sideways. We laughed until
our eyes were wet. Last week our school
practiced an evacuation drill. A sixteen
year-old boy stayed close by me. As we
walked to our destination he whispered
of his fear of being shot during the drill.
© 2018 Sylvia Cavanaugh
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