shit I wish I could say
I won't forget the time
where you called me out:
"the quietest people are those who
think the most highly of themselves."
I don't think you meant it in a harmful way,
but it was a rude thing to say anyway.
I have something that I've been meaning to break to you:
what you said is certainly not true. /
you, and other teachers, don't realize
how much work goes into speaking up,
how much work goes into erasing doubt from my gut.
it's hard to climb over a mountain
when you're made to feel small;
some teachers don't realize what they do at all.