Now the story about this new poem. Yesterday, during our class poetry slam in 5th period, I spouted the phrase "I don't throw points around like confetti" in response to a student comment regarding how few points I assign projects in relation to another teacher. I stopped, and a rather astute student saw my hesitation and quickly quipped, "Mr. Anson, you better write that down. That was some good word choice."
She was right, so I wrote it down. During 6th period I scratched out some notes. During 7th I wrote a rough draft. Today during passing periods I touched it up a little. I'm not completely satisfied, but I have been persuaded by those who have read it to share it as it is. Just know that it is still a rough draft.
“To the Student
Asking If He Can Improve His Grade Two Days After Report Cards Have Been Mailed
Home”
you
can’t
have
extra
credit
to supplant
the
work
you
never pretended
to
care about
until
judgment day
came
and
sentence was
passed.
The
fruits of your
incubated
inattentiveness
and
insistent procrastination
have
matured,
and
it’s time to harvest.
A
crossword puzzle?
to
replace
the
argumentative essay
we
spent four
weeks
constructing in class,
you
ask?
Are
you serious?
Or
do you struggle
in
math, too?
I
don’t toss
around
points like
confetti;
class
is not a party—
show
up to be entertained;
it’s
not Oprah—
you’re
not going home
with
an A,
or
even a B,
just
because you woke up
long
enough for roll call.
No
ice cream,
no
presents,
no
participation trophy
grades
are awarded
for
simply showing up
and
depleting
the
oxygen supply of my classroom;
no
cake,
no
microscopic cookie crumbs
fall
to anyone
but
the red hens who know
that
life
will
not be served
on
a silver platter, or even a plastic tray
from
the dollar store,
and
who are willing
to
scratch
and
sow
and
sweat
and
tend
and
reap
and
create a future for
themselves.
LOVE! It has a certain Billy collins vibe!
ReplyDeleteToni, that made my day. Billy Collins is my poetic hero!
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