You tell yourself

To give him a chance,

Even though,

From the first day,

You see he’ll be

A problem.

 

He shouts,

Arrives late,

Picks fights.

 

And though you feel

Your patience breaking,

You tell yourself

He’s trying;

That he’ll turn it around.

 

He gets worse;

Like a branch’s breaking,

Your patience is rent:

You write him up for

Disrupting the class,

Verbally abusing students,

Cell phone use.

 

All of which,

Had you not been so

Goodhearted,

You would’ve done

Sooner.

 

Now you just can’t wait

T0 get him

Removed from class.

 

The day then comes

When you look at the roster

And don’t see

His name.

A new class?

Expelled?

You don’t care.

 

His desk is empty.

The other students

Don’t mention him,

But smile

More easily.

 

You try to figure it out,

Though

There’s nothing to:

A wasted effort

For all

Involved.

 

~ S.F. Wright 

New Jersey, USA