"New Student"
by J, 11 years old
New faces all around me
New teachers everywhere
Spanish words like a whirlwind spitting in my face
Hallways a mile long
Loads of stress and homework
No idea what class is next
Recess is no better
The whirlwind is getting worse
The campus is a futbol field
Oh bother, which side is mine?
Lunch comes as a heaven
The food nursing my brain
The air horn sounds
Back to class I go
And as I stumble into my room
Math formulas and Spanish words clouding my brain
Stress pouring in as fast as a river
And as it clears
I realize
That was fun
__________________________________________________________________
They have never complained. They have never given up.
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| Photo of Argentine glacier by Martin St-Amant |
Character is usually accrued and built at a pace so glacial we don't even know it's happening. In their cases the accumulation of experiences, hardship and hilarity are compressing into such a short time period that these beings are literally changing before my very eyes.
Their strength of character amazes me.
School has been a $%^&*, sorry, it's not possible to sum it up any other way. Last night J finished up a group project on paramilitary organizations, his partner and he chose the S.S. Today, he will recite "New Student" by memory in front of the class to prepare for the poetry slam.
Gigi doesn't ask for help often so when she said she was having trouble writing a summary, I chalked it up to a virus she caught on the field trip (along with a ton of her mates). Until I asked her the subject. . .the expansion of Christianity in the Roman Empire. If you want your eyes to cross take a look. We had a rollicking time talking about Judaic history, Roman governance and what real choices look like. Just when that little beauty was behind her she tells me tonight that she has an essay on an Aristotle quote due Monday.
They are my heroes.
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