upbringing

upbringing

 

 

spit shine shoes

academia blues

rigid tests of memory

leather on derrieres

in the morning

of a Catholic school day

 

gray sweaters worn in bland defiance

Latin lessons lessened our love for foreign language

and the equations made us board blind

as the English teacher spit nouns and verbs

and fragments and run-ons

where our desks couldn't reach the preposition

 

in, on and of good standing

touching our toes

as the Priests took another belt

of rum, calling us dumb

inciting a riot of heart

the diminishing of confidence

 

the dream of freedom

I still have those spit shine shoes

in a closet of safekeeping

eventually, I passed those rigid tests

diploma drifting into my hands

and now I stand

 

in front of a class

who bear those same 

academia blues

 

but I do it minus

the spit shine shoes

as our reflections

look for guidance

in much less intrusive

stance.

 

 

erin-cilberto

4/9/23

Reviews

[emmajoygreen]

My sisters and I went to a convent school where there was certain disciplines but gently laid - plus a sort of self awareness that our behaviour was what we owed to selves and the blessed staff whatever their clothing! Must admit however, that we were told in brief snatches how past history tore into young people's minds and in even more recent times there has been au uncloaking or unfrocking of some terrible goings. on. Seems to me that what you suffered was horrific and am amazed at your lack of self-pity but true gentility, jacob. Either you were strong to begin with or.. had to learn to cope. Not asking. Your writing is more than fine as it always is.. but, near painful to read in parts.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

there is exaggeration here for the poem...we were disciplined and it was a bit scary, but I don't mind...we learned respect...and that was a good thing...too lax these days, I say.
thank you, em,
j

[emmajoygreen]

Times alter, attitudes change, some for the better but others.. I agree with you about certain this and that being lax however. Oh well.. .. .

[Chris Shaw]

Fortunately for me, my school days do not have quite the same flavour of bad taste that yours have had on you J, although there was discipline, latin and equations. I did not have to suffer the other stuff. I think it is marvelous that despite all that, you can stand before a class of students and give them an education they will remember in a much more positive light. How I’d like to be a student in your English class.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I was poeming here, Chris...wasn't quite that bad...I just springboarded from what actually happened which wasn't so bad...a little fear went a long way.
thank you,
j.

[---]

I find it unbelievably ironic that students who hated their schools will often go on to become teachers - I'm doing the same, or at least beginning to. Hopefully we might leave a better impression on our students than our teachers did upon us.

Funny coincidence, Jacob, I sought to break my writing dry-spell this morning and only saw this once I'd finished : ) thanks for posting, glad to see you're still putting your thoughts to paper.

-Ook

-

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Hopefully we can learn from their mistakes...
thank you, Ook,
j.