no slouching
reading, writing, numbers
all so important
rubbing on the board
cleaning quickly
I stare out, longingly
trees, birds and the sky
in the distance
I can hear the cars
sorry, what?
and yes, of course
I am the teacher
not the pupil
~~~~~~~~
Image credit: Mesut çiçen @ Unsplash
For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a young boy – 7-8 years old, with a cloth duster in his hand, erasing something off a blackboard. In the background, we can perceive the environment of a classroom.
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #266 photo prompt.

What a clever twist! This poem beautifully captures the teacher’s perspective—balancing responsibility and yearning for freedom. A lovely reflection on life’s roles! 🌿✨
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Aww, thanks very much, Caroline.
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Oh this is so brilliant Chris. The last line changed the perspective of the poem. Thanks for joining in.
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Well, it’s all true – that was my hubby when he was a teacher, and I did show him just now😉
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How lovely Chris 💕💖
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Wow, I wasn’t expecting the twist at the end. A great poem!
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Thanks so much. Just a bit of fun!
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oh, beautiful.
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Thanks, Selma!
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🤗
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VERY nice twist, Chris! Teachers daydream, too. 🙂
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So I’m told😉
Thanks, Dave!
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datum!
tis fact
all we lack
tack abc
123
computed
teacher!
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Ho ho, not so easy now, eh!
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as a teacher, I so get this )
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Sorry about that😊
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no worries )
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Excellent, Chris!
Thankfully, there are groundbreaking approaches to Attention Deficit Disorder which shatter past stereotypes; not the least of them by Gabor Maté.
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Ah yes, very interesting (and I have learned something new).
Thanks, Nick!
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Love it! And so true!! I can tell you because I did it for 30 years. 😂😀
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I remember, you’ve said… and I know you were a brilliant teacher! 😊
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Lol, I don’t know how brilliant I was, but I tried 😬 A lot of it was fun, but a lot of it made me so thankful to retire!
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I will say this, my English learner class would be “adopting” a rat at APOPO if I were still teaching!
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But, of course! 🐀
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Retired is good, very good – well, I thought so!
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Ha ha, I love the twist at the end!
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Glad that you enjoyed that, Liz!
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Are we not both pupil and teacher at the same time?
Being slightly less metaphysical even towards the end of my career the children I worked with would provide new perspectives, so nicely written, Chris.
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Yes, that’s true – both the pupil and the teacher are intwined.
Well done for being a great teacher, Chris. But then you became a poet and a short story writer. Excellent!
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Ha, I thank you but fear that you may be slightly mis-guided! 🤣
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Lol.. I often imagine teachers have that mental drift at some point during the day. Especially just after lunch. Lovely twist, Chris.
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Break-time, lunch, and a little snack in the afternoon will keep both kids and teachers happy and full. Sorry, giggling now!!
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Lol.. true.
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A teacher and a poet? Excellent triskele!!🤙🤗💖
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I know a few of those – teachers and poets. Oh, but it’s a new word for me… and now I know what it is. 😊✨👌
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What a fun twist at the end, Chris. I can totally imagine that teachers also get distracted by what’s outside the window. Love this.
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So glad that you enjoyed that, Diana. We can all have a little dream looking outside wherever we are.😊
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I loved his you ended this, wonderful ❤️
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Thanks so much, Gary!☺️
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daydreaming happens to the best of us 🩵
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Absolutely!!
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💕
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Ha! What a lovely, unexpected twist! Love it, Chris.🧡
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Tee-hee… glad that you enjoyed that, Punam!
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I really like where the picture took you, Chris, delightfully different.
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Thanks so much, Keith!
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Yes. The student is not the only one waiting for the bell to ring.
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Quite so! Thanks, Darnell.
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[…] Chris; Blackboard […]
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I enjoyed the twist, Chris! Didn’t expect that hehe.
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Glad you enjoyed that, Maria!
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gorgeous and so beautifully put too! 💖💖
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Ah, that was a bit of fun for a teacher!
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