Things will not always
go smoothly.
Bad things will happen.
Your car will break
down the morning you begin student teaching.
You’ll forget your
lunch at home and find your wallet devoid of bills,
Which brings to mind the
coffee table at home with one or two that are a week behind.
The bell will ring
while you’re rushing down the hallway with handouts that cost you the last
fifteen minutes of your planning period
And resulted in a
battle that spilled blood and toner.
You will forget you
were supposed to work tonight
Because you were busy
grading papers
And checked the wrong
week’s schedule.
The phone will ring to
remind you that you still have other responsibilities,
And your alarm will fail
to rouse you for the ones that make the grades.
You will miss out on
opportunities to spend time with the woman who makes you smile.
You will wake in the
morning wishing for just fifteen more minutes,
And discover a flat
tire as you walk out onto the drive.
You will be asked if
you could be less boring today by a teenage girl, and begin to wonder,
“When did I become
Boring?”
Your lesson will run
too long,
And tomorrow’s will
fall short.
Every kid in class will
stare blankly as you repeat a question ten different ways, and
The principal will arrive
to observe you on the day they decided to truly test your management skills.
You will paint a paper in red ink and begin to think,
"What have I done wrong?"
There was once a Florentine
who found himself five years older than I
And at a crossroads in
life.
He made a journey
Nine circles deep
Before he climbed to
the mount
And found the light.
We all must face
hardships before we reach the top,
And nobody said that
sharing the lamp was easy.
