<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is not poetry to tell you how wonderful you have been<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How you have been a guide, and a light unto my feet<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is not a poem to tell you about how well you have nurtured me<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or how invested you have been in my well-being.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is not a poem to tell the world, that without you and your efforts<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that without you and your sacrifices<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that without you and your tears of love and affection<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I would not be standing on this podium today
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is not a poem about hope<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The one you instilled in me, in preparation for when the going gets tough<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is not a poem about your love for me either<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That love that lets you shelter me in the rain and away from the hard-hitting rays of the sun
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This really is not a poem about your desire to see me live a life better than yours<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To see me blossom into a flower that provides beauty to itself and its environment<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is not a poem about service<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ones you rendered even above your pay grade without fuss
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dear Teacher
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a poem about calling on the world to do right by you<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To recognize the beautiful place you occupy in our lives and that of our children<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond long talk, a plethora of unfulfilled promises and documented cases of neglect<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indeed, we should do better.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a poem about your living and working conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About how the one who teaches lawyers has no one to defend her rights<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About how the one who lectures engineers, can’t get a decent housing<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About the one who lectures cooks and chefs can’t get a decent meal..
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is tough….and our thoughts and prayers are with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But thoughts and prayers won’t buy a jar of milk<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It won’t buy some good shoes and fabric of silk
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So…to the head teacher<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The substitute teacher<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The teachers who taught us to till the soil<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To the ones that do it as a hobby<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To the teachers that tell us about God and his love<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To the ones that tell us about the workings of the universe<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To the teachers who play the roles of parents to orphaned children<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To the teachers risking it all in areas of conflict<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To the teachers who have been burnt<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And to the ones still aflame<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We say to you…thank you..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We say thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the bottom of our hearts, we say thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And we call on the world to do right by you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Happy World Teachers Day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This is not poetry to tell you how wonderful you have been How you have been a guide, and a light unto my feet This is not a poem to tell you about how well you have nurtured me Or how invested you have been in my well-being. This is not a poem to tell the world, that without you and your efforts And that without you and your sacrifices And that without you and your tears of love and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":31,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poetry"],"yoast_head":"\n