Ode to the End of the Year

By Heather Skipworth Craven


Roses are rare,
Violets need care.
My desk is a chaotic mess.
The bulletin boards are holey and worn,
How many more assessment tests???

Folders are creased,
Pencils are chewed and nubby,
My file cabinet bulges and bends,
And if I get one more apple thing for teacher appreciation
I will definitely go off the deep end.

Roses are magic
Violets are fragile
And so is my classroom control
Spring fever has descended...
My expectations up ended
And my schedule is taking its toll...

But ah, there are the moments
That are now etched in deep
Of trust and the awe of discovery,
The laughter, and tension
Ideas…too many to mention,
Friendships to savor and keep.

Roses all too soon fade
Violets are delicate as glass
My students will move on
Their lives a learning song,
My hope and daily prayer
Is for my touch on each child to last.

Roses are treasured,
Violets are nurtured
Students grow, blossom and transcend,
Oh that I can be that teacher they remember
As a life gardener and a friend.