Friday, December 21, 2012

Every Day I Wake Up - or - A Poem For The Last Class With My Students

Everyday I wake up...

Every day I wake up I feel the grind of the gears in my head, in my back, in my shoulders, in my knees, in my past, present, and future, begging me not to throw off the covers, not to get up on my feet, not to start moving, not to face the sun because yesterday beat me down so effectively.

Every day I wake up I promise myself that I will not make the same mistakes I made yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that, for days and days and weeks and weeks and years and years and years. Today I will be better. Today I will break the mold. Today I will walk a different path.

Every day I wake up I know I will see smiles on friend's faces. I know I will see my own versions of  inspiration surrounding me, if I can only look at them right. I will be flipped off, honked at, and sworn at by the worst driver in the world who happens to be around every corner, driving to close behind me, cutting in front of me, swerving into my well protected bubble, and following me around everywhere I go.  But I will keep driving and get to where I need to go, undaunted.

Every day I wake up I know that I have a chance to reinvent myself, show off my skills to those willing to see them, polish up my flaws for those exposed to them, scream at the heavens on high, laugh at the untold jokes around me, and show the world just how good it is to be me.

Written in a fire storm during a 5 minute free write session with my south side students during the last day of class.