The teacher asks a question.
You know the answer, you suspect
you are the only one in the classroom
who knows the answer, because the person
in question is yourself, and on that
you are the greatest living authority,
but you don’t raise your hand.
You raise the top of your desk
and take out an apple.
You look out the window.
You don’t raise your hand and there is
some essential beauty in your fingers,
which aren’t even drumming, but lie
flat and peaceful.
The teacher repeats the question.
Outside the window, on an overhanging branch,
a robin is ruffling its feathers
and spring is in the air.
I loved this poem. You can interpret so many different ways. My mind paralleled the teacher as all of the teachings we may receive throughout our day, week, month, year, etc. So many times we are asked a question from this life and we can either answer with a raised hand, or we can look out the window. What I really enjoy about this poem is that it shows the awareness of the question. So often I think this is the first step that many people lack. They have hardened themselves and desensitized themselves so that there is no longer an ear for hearing. No hearing, then no question and definitely no answer. Then, where does their thought lie?
ReplyDeleteSo, too, are the people who hear and look out the window every single day. You see times in our lives when looking out the window is just easier and then you see other times where full engagement with our environment is present.
You can even see and feel this with engagement of our daily poetry readings- some days the connection is there and it feels like poetry is one of the greatest tools of creativity. Other days, you think about the millions of things you could be doing besides reading this poem.
I just wrote a comment and it got lost due to a connection error.
ReplyDeleteI see this poem so much different now. I see a difiant student being a punk. Asked a simple question like, "can you grab a book and read quietly?" And instead the student takes out something else and ignores the teacher.