teacher say
don't name call

teacher say
don't you boo!

an' teacher say,
don't cast stones 'cause
those same rocks can be
thrown back at you


teacher say
don't gloat

teacher say
don't brag. . .

an' my teacher say
if you say nothin' good
shut your mouth 'cause false words
make your niceness stink bad


teacher say,
be honest,
teacher say
pray daily

and her best lesson yet:
Watch for thieves who act shady.

© 2004 by cynth'ya lewis reed
all reserved.


Author's Note: The site link below this paragraph does not necessarily reflect the views of the Libertarian-minded sassy little midlife black woman's website you have chosen to visit today. However in keeping with a belief in the First Amendment, every poet, open or narrow-minded writer or human vessel of Spoken Word (unlike John McCain name-calling Michael Moore's freedom to write disingenuous), this is still America, and until we ALL need green cards to prove our citizenship, we all have a right to have our say, and to do so individually, with out the approval of preferential comfort-zone acceptance. A Day of Poetry for the War