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You are here: Home / Poems for Teachers / Countdown to School: Poem #4 (I Don’t Know Why)

Countdown to School: Poem #4 (I Don’t Know Why)

September 3, 2009 By Laura

Still counting down to the start of the schoolyear with a week’s worth of unpublished school poems. Here’s a poem I wrote based on my time as an 8th-grade teacher. I had a couple of students who would always be at school early, helping me out in my portable classroom. Truthfully, some days I just really needed alone time to prepare for the day, but you could tell that school was a sanctuary for these kids, so what could you do?

 

  I Don’t Know Why…
(A poem for two voices)
 
(TEACHER) (BOTH TOGETHER) (STUDENT)
     
I don’t know why
she knocks on my
portable’s door when
   
  it’s still dark  
    outside, but Ms. T’s lights shine
a rectangle of warmth like a
soft-burning fireplace. I’m not 
really supposed to be at school
  at this hour  
she should be wrapped
in a fuzzy bathrobe,
eating cinnamon oatmeal
with her
   
  mom and dad  
    both leave for work early, and my house
feels grey and cold when they go, so
they drop me off and I help out
  in my classroom  
she spends an hour
sponging blackboards, cleaning
desks, and even
   
  scraping gum  
    is worth it for a small space,
morning chatting,
rows of books, and Ms. T’s
  thank you  
–Laura Purdie Salas
all rights reserved
   
Tagged With: Laura's poems, poems for two voices

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Related

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JANUARY NEWS

I loved the holidays! And I'm so glad they're over. A quiet, snowy January is just what I need. This month, I'm working on two board book manuscripts, and I'm making materials to go with my 3 spring 2023 books.

I'm also busy prepping for upcoming author visits and setting my goals and priorities for 2023. Wishing you a lovely start to your own new year!

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