A teacher, on her/his first day,
Enters the administrative office.
"Today, you enter the front line..."
They say, as her/his thoughts begin to race,
"Some orientation, or a first day for that matter,"
Is all he/she can muster,
As the session ends and classrooms are assigned.
The first day does not involve children,
The first month or so, not a kid in sight,
For the new teacher.
But the words echo through those months,
"Today, you enter the front line..."
What could the principle have meant,
And why did I not listen to the rest of that sentence?

The lesson is to pay attention,
Even for those who could rarely afford.

What we teach to others,
In turn we teach to ourselves.

When we take on the weight of the future,
We enter the front line....