Tenure

Year one

I danced a mean tango

With him.

I looked into his Eyes

That would not

Could not

Look back.

I pushed.

He shoved.

I won,

Because he won.

He smiled,

Made friends,

Sang the Faerie song

One Midsummer’s Night Eve

Side by side

With the sighted

While he

Was blind.

 In September

Of year two,

I met his genius

And watched it

Slowly slide

From A

To F,

From sweet

To hard,

Clean

To disheveled.

Flippant… cold.

Dancing eyes turned dark

Empty.

I heard myself ask

for missing work

And cringed.

I knew

I was watching

Him watch

His mother

Slowly Fading,

Body failing

Slowly dying

In May.

Year three

Brought an Angel.

Tall

Graceful.

She spread her wings

And wrapped

Lost souls,

Outcasts,

Cool kids,

In the light of her smile –

A child

Saving children

From others

And themselves.

A child

With an adult illness

Ever smiling

while checking numbers.

Teaching the teacher

Patience, tolerance.

Mission complete,

She died.

An angel on loan

From heaven,

Leaving me to teach.

Tenured.