Should I or Shouldn’t I???

Okay, I wrote a poem and it’s not my first. I have written many poems and so have you, I am sure. But the question is, since I have a blog, should I post this poem? The reason I consider posting this poem on this site is because I read it last night at the IRA Poetry Olio, the focus of yesterday’s blog. What in the H—heck, come on…. is “olio”? Well today, I was informed that is an Irish stew; I digress, in that I am going to now unveil this poem. My caveat is that I only wrote it over the last couple of weeks which means it is still in the cooker: 

Six feet–six inches of monochromatic black

slowly shares painful memories of the past:

“Don’t remember kindergarten;

first grade neither.

Remember fourth and fifth;

a cacophony of teacher cursing.

“Then Chicago Public became my past.

Beyond the city lay my future,

In the School of an Open Heart.

“I remember Junior High:

Caring Teachers

Shared Direction

High Expectation.

Teachers who talked to us, not at us.

Teachers who guided with questions

And helped with homework.

“Yet, here, too, was cacophony–

Not of teachers cursing

But of students pained by

stress

poverty

ignorance.

“Eventually, teachers without immunity to local disease

Fell victim to epidemic attitude.

“Teachers, please hear me–

 I who don’t remember kindergarten or first grade.

I who hear only cursing when I think on years

evoking spelling bees and field trips in your minds;

Hold conversation with your charges; build antibodies to local disease.

Tell jokes and laugh; relieve yourselves of pain.

Call me by name: Marvelle.