She never made it as a teacher

I’m going through old poems, searching for things for my upcoming spoken word performance. This is not something that fits, but it’s a piece I’ve always been proud of. It resonates with me because I knew this woman, who was so vibrant and talented before the drugs got hold of her; I hope you get some of that. Hers was just one more tragic tale in our sad drug culture. Love you. Don’t use drugs. If you are, get some help. Wherever you are, you can use the link below.

https://www.stopaddiction.us/requests.php?kw=crisis%20hotline&m=bp&nw=oNetwork&msclkid=9771fd05b0c618be0892a06fd5516eaf

She never made it as a teacher

She never made it as a teacher
Because she liked her drugs too much,
And mornings suck
When they happen
At the same time every day.
She had loved the kids,
She did, oh yeah;
So many of them
Mini morons, so eager
To nod their heads
And say “oh yeah”
and to give that knowing chuckle
that says, “I know where you’re coming from.”
But none of them knew
much of anything anyway,
least of all her,
but she did when things were good though,
when it worked,
because she was a bigger version of her,
a super her,
knowing her,
an insightful her,
and she knew that if she could just get them all to…
to…
to…
to listen.
If they would all just listen.
But they wouldn’t, and
she didn’t make it as a teacher,
and she wound up doing whatever,
still showing up at the same haunts
and trying to put on
the mask of a woman she once was.
I’ll see her on the street occasionally,
her blemished skin and baggy clothes,
always  looking like it’s winter.