I subbed for five years in the
Cleveland Municipal School
District mainly one-day jobs
In middle and high schools
Besides learning I had no talent
For the task the system was in
Complete disorder I found no one
Would say what everyone knew
Subbing for a daily absence was
Supposed to be a matter of using
The lesson plan leaving notes for
The next day no teacher ever had
The required plan making the job
A matter of preventing spillage
Of your own or students’ blood
Kids knew they could all but
Set the desks ablaze and get
Away with it because you
Innocent daily knew none of
Their names as attempting to
Take attendance soon taught you
A group of anonymous pupils
Are a seated mob at best who
Ached to unleash their barely
Suppressed adolescent rage on an
Authority figure namely you
Who needed the work would
Not report outright rebellion lest
He be accused of failing to keep
Order in the class be disinvited
Ever again to return as long as the
Breakage was within reason I
Kept mum high schoolers were
Far more restrained violence
Took too much effort might
Be a parole violation their
Thirst for learning nil they
Generally kept quiet nobody
Wanted to call it babysitting
An occasional administrator
Attempting to seem to do his/her
Job might poke a head in a class
To lecture the daily in front of
The students about teaching not
Merely watching over students
Asleep at their desks mind you
Those were the better schools
Not the ones where you kept
Doors locked so teens roaming
The halls who acted like they owned
The place didn't break in to start fights
If an adult knocked on the door
You were required to have them
Present their teacher ID then
There were places the principal
Who told you strictly never to
Touch a child then grabbed
A kid out of the lunch line
Marched him to the office
In a headlock I tried keeping a
Journal in hope the stories
Might bring about change after
The fifth year five hundred teachers
And all the subs were sacked
c. J.S.Manista, 2015
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