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Found Poetry: two children

On Tuesday, I wrote about one child.  One child that I worry about daily.

On Wednesday, my principal shared this poem with the staff:


TWO CHILDREN

Same family,
Same neighborhood,

Same school,
Same stress,

Same neglect,
Same abuse,

Sullen, withdrawn,
One shrinks,

The other grows,
Warm, popular.

One finds nourishment,
the other hardens.

What is the difference?

One found a caring adult,
The other did not,

One was encouraged,
The other was not,

One was expected to succeed, 
The other was assumed to fail.

One pops back, one stays down.

Both are children

Both are the future.

~ Thomas E. Baker








Wow . . . goosebumps, right?  I guess one teacher can make the difference as many of you commented. My reminder to not give up!

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Comments

  1. Betsy HubbardApril 5, 2012 at 5:15 PM

    I will be sharing this post on twitter, this poem is amazing, poignant and should be read by every educator (and citizen)! Lovely, thank you so much for sharing this poem today.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Linda BApril 5, 2012 at 10:02 PM

    Wow, Michelle & it's so like your poem, the concern, the feelings. You must have a caring principal. Does he share something like this often? Thank you for sharing with us!

    ReplyDelete
  3. CathyApril 6, 2012 at 11:47 PM

    Michelle, this is a powerful reminder of the impact we can have on children. You are right, finding someone who cares can make all the difference. The contrast between the two children helped illustrate the significance of caring.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Amy RuddApril 17, 2012 at 9:15 PM

    I am goin to share this poem with my school staff- need to hear it!

    ReplyDelete

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