The Deafening Silent Sigh
Peter T. Atkinson
If you ever worked at a school you know,
There is a lull when the year is over
and the students leave. There is a phantom
Echo because the energy that fills the halls,
And walks, and classrooms, and dormitories,
The rest of the year is so strong, its absence
Is deafening. Usually it brings to life
For teachers a sense of freedom mixed with
Real accomplishment, for another year
Has come and gone, and with it another set
Is forever complete. The system has produced
Another yield, a fresh crop of minds is ready
To be given and used and put to the test
By the next set of challenges. The silence
Almost acts as a sigh, and sighs encompass
The scope of rest, recovery, and regret,
For hard work took place, differences in lives
Were made, but there always is more to do,
So I wonder what it is like today at Sweet Briar,
Where the past is set, but the future hangs
In a balance sheet that the teachers do not
Control. I wonder what the institutional
Silent sighs speak this year. It is reflective,
Taking stock in what they have done, what is
Left to be done, and hope that they will get
To do it, which is all a teacher truly wants,
A chance to make a difference in the life of one,
Who can make a difference in the life of all.
On this closing day, and appreciation week,
We call for all to work, to give them a chance
By Saving Sweet Briar, and again destroy
The deafening silence with the energy of young
People learning that their lives truly matter.
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