sunday morning: soft
yet cold, bright. winter's chilly
disposition begs
coffee, begs sweatshirt,
and the birds beg at feeders,
and these essays beg
less forgiveness than
any shame demands. instead,
they shriek like hungry
birds, hungering for
grades unearned, validation
for simply breathing.
it could be simple,
really; i could acquiesce,
ignoring ethics
and ignorance, pour
into them the acceptance
they seek but not the
learning. besides, they
already know -- right? -- like those
baby birds with beaks
open, that someone
will give them everything
they want, without their
lifting their wings. no
resistance, no flight -- physics
another class they
fail, but they don't care.
passive receptacles -- are
they more than that? mouths
open, more effort
a worthless waste of time? these
essays, motionless
on the table, less
like work than slow suicide,
deserve more than what
they have received, more
than what they will this cold, bright
sunday morning. so
do i, mourning the
language tortured, the lack of
snow, the empty mug
beside the essays
too lazy to beg for, well,
anything. the birds
know: everything
works when the feeder's full. i
toast some bread, fill my
mug, toast the sun, quit
chirping, find less savory
offerings, and grade.
[+]
* The RGM modified this post's date since it originally was posted at the day and time Greta started composing the post, and not when she actually posted it.
Gretta, will you marry me?
ReplyDeleteI saw her first, you person who can't even spell her name right!
DeleteIt was a declaration of love!
DeleteAt least the parent birds get to kick the baby birds out of the nest, in far less time than it takes to get through a semester, too. Of course, as the bird feeder reference reminds us, not all of them get the message -- at least not as long as we keep feeding them with no effort on their part.
ReplyDeleteWhere's a metaphorical cat, or hawk, when you need one? And how do you incorporate such a predator into your feedback? Maybe a reference to future employers who won't stand for [fill in the most egregious errors here]?
The baby birds would complain the the cat's or hawk's department Chair, who would side with the baby birds, much to the detriment of the balance of nature.
DeleteLove it, Greta. You are a treasure.
ReplyDeletePush them out of the nest before they can fly... and walk away quickly.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love your haiku more and more. Thank you, Greta! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful, Greta. I see a chapbook--you have certainly got enough to work with!
ReplyDeleteYou have a way with metaphor, Professor Greta. Why, why, why does grading suck so much?
ReplyDelete