Saturday 26 January 2019

The boy at school


As a boy at school
Bore sarcastic percussion
From my Latin teacher

 'Twas Taffy Jenkins
"What would your Mum think of you?"
Still drums in my brain

 As those years rolled on 
His admonishments grew cruel
"You are less than dust"

 So he translated
"Beneath my chariot wheels"
So the whole class laughed

 Later I left school
And without Latin to help
I am what I am

 I had a great job
Then came to Australia
A successful life

 Think Mum was quite proud
But I cannot tell him that
As he is long gone

 Image found at https://www.mylondon.news/lifestyle/lifestyle-opinion/note-self-old-school-classroom-6727115
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9 comments:

  1. Kim M. Russell26 January 2019 at 23:54

    I so love anecdotal poetry, Robin, and this one takes me back to my school days too. Nowadays, teachers are not supposed to use sarcasm, although I have heard it in one or two high school classrooms.

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  2. Vivian Zems27 January 2019 at 04:14

    This brings back memories of a teacher predicting awful grades fro me. I sure hope that teachers realise that they have a special calling to mould the lives of children. Good for you though.....Mum was proud :)

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  3. brudberg27 January 2019 at 07:29

    I think that latin doesn't matter a great deal these days... My father was forced to read latin instead of science...
    But his father said that latin is the foundation of all knowledge... those where the days.

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  4. Sanaa Rizvi27 January 2019 at 08:15

    Oh this is so evocative and brings back so many memories, Robin!❤️

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  5. tonispencer27 January 2019 at 08:51

    I loved Latin and was one of those geeks in the Latin Club. It still helps me figuring out meanings of words after all these years. Some people just aren't Latin people and there is nothing wrong with that. I think your mom would have been very proud of you!

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  6. Linda Lee Lyberg27 January 2019 at 15:13

    This is a wonderful story. I am watching- My Brilliant Friend on HBO, and in it they are learning Latin. It is set in Italy.

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  7. Jim27 January 2019 at 16:32

    Thanks for o posting this. Robbin. I felt sorry for the lad as I progressed through. But I was pleasantly surprised that he who turned out to be the author outdid by far the teacher's forecast. Nicely written.
    ..

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  8. purplepeninportland.com28 January 2019 at 17:28

    Wow, Robin. This takes me back to a similar situation, one of those things that do not need remembering, but you cannot forget.

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    Replies
    1. Old Egg28 January 2019 at 18:42

      Thank you you everyone for your comments and Yes; this really happenned over 70 years ago!

      Delete

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