genius dropouts

genius dropouts

 

 

the learners are all learned out

the teachers all burnt out

schools of compromise closed

funding of good faith lacking necessity

to keep the doors of enclosure

from locking love out

empty classrooms of chaotic conversion

 

the buildings stand empty

books closed,

broken windows fracture the beams of promise

that shine into vacant hallways

 

voices teaching a ghost language

no one understands

anymore.

 

 

 

erin-cilberto

4/29/17

Reviews

[Ken Simm.]

Nothing and I mean nothing more sad. From one teacher to another.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for understanding, Ken.
j.

[Antonio Valentino]

not the caliber of teacher as you my friend by any stretch but i was a culinary instructor for ten years and can relate with this..

homeless students living in their cars, single mothers raising children plus siblings trying to better their lives, lots of paroles and ex military searching for answers and not just in tests..

it was the most meaningful job i ever had and helped to define who i am today..

keep fighting the good fight my man.. teachers are some of the most important people in our lives..

enjoyed this as always..

[jacob erin-cilberto]

what you did as a teacher, very very important...
i appreciate you sharing that story...
read morewhat you did as a teacher, very very important...
i appreciate you sharing that story...

j.

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

Jacob,I laud you as a teacher- the finest and most noble, selfless profession. Your outrage at the declining state of education is so apparent and well-expressed in this poem. "Broken windows fracture the beams of promise that shine into vacant hallways" is a profoundly beautiful requiem. Teachers like you keep the dream alive.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i just that dream can keep breathing!
thank you for your words, Annette.
j.

[BBP]

Captured the barren future of our reality! So sad but true!

Nicely expressed as always !

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, B.B.--

j.

[Ana B.]

this hit home harder than i expected. It's a scary reality, but it's right there, for all to see and change it. Lovely write dear Jacob

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind review, Ana
j.

[Surya]

Wow, That's present scenario at most of educational societies..I enjoyed it..:)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, Surya...
j.

[richieb]

I read two things into your fine poem Jacob. First the true value of education has been diminished into a capitalistic venture and the hands on, face to face communication system is all tweets,twitters and so on. I feel the youth are being short changed in this regard. They would have benefited much more from "old school" teachers as yourself.
Richie b.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, and yes...also thank you for the nice compliment...
j.

[Alfred Kukitz]

There seems to be a propensity that human beings mess up everything as they get involved. Education, democracy, Vietnam, Iraq, taxes, nukes, Earth, etc.

regards,
al

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, yes, they do.
thanks Al.
j.

[Mary]

Jacob, I think you have written a very powerful and poignant poem here that touches my heart deeply. As a retired educator, I see this poem as a statement of what is happening in the educational system and how it will continue to erode. But I also see this poem as a metaphor for the death of listening, compromising and learning from each other. Honest communication has truly become a "ghost language," like Latin.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your very kind review, Mary.
j.

[Shy Joe]

For me, this represents the end of the school year. Bittersweet. It's going to be nice for a couple months, but I think I will miss the chaos after a while.

Thanks for sharing.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your thoughts, Joe.
j.