Monday, September 12, 2005

for sue and our students

dont trouble me about
punctuation
spelling

i am looking for
meaning
not exactly

those who serve rules
might not be served
nor understand

our students know this
after meaningless tests
to find out who is

the best
but at what
and for whom

yes i am peevish
but no im not bad
(just not a bureaucrat)

yes i break rule
looking for more
than I found at school

12 comments:

Russell CJ Duffy said...

i was the pupil that ALL teachers dreaded. not violent or that badly behaved but such a disruptive influence. it is funny how time changes your perspective on things and although i have no regrets at all about being expelled, as i was, i do regret not utilising my own intelligence and wasteing the time of a few damn good teachers who really only wanted to give me such a valuable gift. the desire to learn and absorb knowledge. funny really because now i am ready to study and learn and yet ironically (still cannot spell)am reaching a stage of my life when learning is meant to be behind me.
sorry to babble on by the way.
another fine poem.

Russell Ragsdale said...

Me too cj! I was also kicked out but they took me back next year so I could play sports (drunk in school and a long history of disruption)! Didn't find anything interesting until at the university where there were other crazies like me. Lucky really, got a great education, but worry about my students now. I see so many students going through learning nothing, only practicing the rules of the road! I read Sue's poem about meaningless rules (and the meaningless road provided by education) for pupils and had to write this!

Sue hardy-Dawson said...

Russel may your prayers always be answered, I don't think I've ever been so touched, school has without doubt ghosts for many of us, it's a shame that it's so un imaginative in its formular that it doesn't encourage difference but channels it into destruction. I read and was moved by your poems for Gulnaz and Angel, how blessed we are to share such thoughtfulness

Roger Stevens said...

Hi, Russell. How's it going then? Some fine poetry. Is it my imagination or is poetry on the up on our acquaintance's blogs?

Working on a paella dish at the moment. Have cooked it a couple of times now. It's not bad. But any tips from the master?

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks for all the kind words Sue! Enjoyed you poem for pupils and obviously have some kindred concerns. Wish there was more we could do so the cj's of the world didn't get sorted out and left out! I almost didn't make it either. When we sort it out to deal with the average, the unusual must make do for themselves, which isn't always easy!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Hi Roger! I think you are spot on; poetry is on the up all arround us! We are greatly blessed by our talented friends. Good luck with the paella! will it be mixed with sea food as well? Are you layering in the varieties of ingredients (because some go in early and some late)? Do you have one of those splendid iron pots for which the dish was orriginally named? Hope you find a excellent wine to accompany that and you and Jill slip into a pleasing blur of sea bass!

Julie said...

I love it, you say ALL that is important,, you ARE such a SAGE soul!!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks Julie! I wish that was true! I'm just a fellow who has made a lot of mistakes and is on the road (I HOPE) for more. Life is a foolish pursuit but I can't seem to abandon it. Sort of getting used to the folly of it, after all, I guess. Just wish I could help some of my students. Wonderful comments! You sound great, by the way. Glad to see you back here! Thanks for the unbridled praise!

Patry Francis said...

Really related to this poem, and to your story of not finding a place for yourself academically until you went to college, where there were other "crazies." As a fellow crazy and poet, I experienced the same thing.

Also loved your poem for Gulnaz.

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks so much Patry! Glad to know another crazy is out there in this poem of a world! Thanks for the nice comments on the poems!

Lorena said...

very creative!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks Lorena! I'm working in a good cause.