Saturday, May 22, 2010

Elementary School (a pivotal moment)

Robert Lee Brewer asked us to create a poem based on an "aha" moment (shades of Oprah!). This was one of the formative moments of my childhood.



ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LESSON

I knew a lot by second grade
The alphabet, counting to one hundred
How to write my name in cursive, and perfectly
What not to try to flush down the toilet
(for example, all my broccoli smuggled in via dinner napkin)
How kittens get born

One thing I didn’t know
was something the whole class learned at the same time

The grownups were mumbling something about
President Kennedy
A grownup was sobbing in the hall
and Mrs. Darrow almost fainted

Until second grade
I didn’t know that teachers were allowed to cry

© 2010 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil

2 comments:

  1. I LOVE this, Amy. We carry these kinds of moments with us for life, that's for sure. Especially the ones that happen so young. Beautiful piece!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I sat as teacher of my 4th grade class watching the launch of the Challenger....and then...it...all....went wrong. We were all rooting for the first teacher in space, but it wasn't to be that day. There definitely are hard moments for teachers and children, as you found out and wrote about in your poem.

    ReplyDelete