teachpoet is an imperative. A path. A righteous call. I fear I do not write enough. I fear fear’s paralysis.

I am coming to know I am a teacher first. I have not developed a writing practice in the mornings before school. I teach. Then I write. My power is in the classroom. My voice is most impressive there. I write to channel those words into my poetry. Teaching is a juggling act fit for a man part court jester, part word wizard. Part parenting, part law enforcement. Part blah, part blah.

Ingenious and incendiary. Impossible and empowering. Thought challenging as much as thought provoking. Thoroughly selfless and humbling. Not the path to riches.

The transition between teacher and poet, therefore, comes naturally. If these are my aspirations in the classroom, so they are for my words. If I can shoulder any of these descriptions, I’d be honored and thankful.

Now back to work. A poet foremost.