The poem below by Cheryl Savageau can be found in her book Dirt Road Home. In addition to her amazing poetry, I love the cover design. So often, books of poetry just don’t have the cool design they deserve. The poem is dedicated to her brother, Ed Savageau.
It’s a bit harsh on teachers. Maybe we can think of the poem as addressing any of the people in our lives who have tried to silence our inner voice (including maybe… ourselves.)
First Grade – Standing in the Hall
Because he can’t read
the teacher makes him stand
in the hall. He can sing
all his letters, knows
what they look like. He knows
that out of books come stories,
like the ones his Gramma told him.
Now she is in the hospital.
He wonders if she is sleeping,
when she will come home.
The letters do not
talk to him.
They keep their stories
to themselves.
He is hopeless, he is stupid
he is standing in the hall.
He is waiting in the hall
for the principal
to see him, for the bell to ring,
for the teacher
to call him back inside.
After awhile
when no one comes
he stops crying.
A spider is webbing
the pie-shaped window pane
and outside,
the sun is making fire
in the yellow leaves.
If he listens closely
a song will begin in him
that the teachers
can’t silence.
May we all have songs that can’t be silenced.