Game 25

​CHI 91               NYK 107

I teach high school
English.

Seniors.
Eighteen, most of ‘em.

We read books
And tell stories
And talk about the world.

We connect our very real lives
To the lives of these fictional characters
And we see how on purpose
Art is.

We grapple with our humanity.

We try to figure out
What our experiences
And choices
Say about us
As human beings.

Where we fit.

We think about big things.

We discuss ideas
And disagree
And get excited.

It’s pretty cool.

But every year
There is at least one kid
Who tells me
I need to be more strict.

And I get it.

Certain people thrive within strict structures--
Swaddled in their rules and procedures.

But those structures will always be there
For them.

Or against them.

And they’ll only have me
For one short year.

---

​#HoopsHaiku

We are all grenades,
And the pins are in our mouths.
Best we keep ‘em closed.

Basketball players
Can be artists or soldiers,
But are rarely both.