students, and teaching, living

students, and teaching, living(ˈliviNG)

life as unscripted(ˌənˈskriptid) movie(ˈmo͞ovē)

every person’s life is an unscripted movie,
with the star challenged to find action and word
to get through each scene(sēn)
before the next scene challenges anew(əˈn(y)o͞o),

as a teacher I am gifted
with a front row seat(sēt) for some of the scenes,
I clearly see the actor
and revel(ˈrevəl) in the quality of self revealed(rəˈvēl)
in intent(inˈtent), in word, in action,
I can applaud with my own word and care
the quality before me,

then the movie shifts location,
to be filmed(film) away from me,
I often know little of how it turns out,
maybe an occasional(əˈkāZHənl) review by someone who has seen later scenes,
sometimes the actor flashing back to a visit,
and my appreciation(əˌprēSHēˈāSHən) of the quality of the self living its story
reprises(rəˈprēz) for a bit(bit),

today I visited for a time with a former student
who will not be denied(dəˈnī) in her quest(kwest)
to create a career(kəˈri(ə)r) with the songs her soul writes
and her voice and hands release(rəˈlēs) to the world,
the meaning and music of her words
ethereal(əˈTHirēəl) and grounded at the same time,

By Henry H. Walker

https://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2019/04/p.html