Three Poems – Writers House Review

Meghan Scheuing

these things

pay attention to the stupid things

the pitch of car horn

the rattle of garbage cans

the sound electricity makes before the world goes dark

and the rattle of thunder that takes the house

by such surprise

it can’t help but start to shake

yes, hold on tight to these silly things

like the sound of your sister screaming

on the phone with her november boyfriend

and the chorus of curses in the hours after

“I hate him”

and the quiet things, yes, the tiny things

the crows in october

the mourning dove at dawn

the coo of bedtime, and a kettle’s scream

the things that are spoken

long after

we’ve closed our eyes at night

so hold on tight to these fleeting things

the promises, the forevers,

the sounds that one day

will no longer be noise

but memories of a life

that was lived

Responsibility

It is the responsibility of the teacher to mold the future
It is the responsibility of the teacher to have a plan of action
It is the responsibility of the teacher to know each of their students personally

to understand their struggles and strengths
and to be more than just an authority figure for those 180 days of the year

It is the responsibility of the female teacher to be a mother
It is the responsibility of the male teacher to be a father
It is the responsibility of the teacher to be stern, yet fair

disciplined, yet approachable
seasoned, yet open-minded

It is the responsibility of the teacher to accept their pay

oftentimes working without definitive contracts
and giving their extra time to students who would not otherwise succeed
without it

It is the responsibility of the teacher to teach right from wrong
It is the responsibility of the teacher to teach first draft from second
It is the responsibility of the teacher to promote pride in one’s work
It is the responsibility of the teacher to keep students humble
It is the responsibility of the teacher to keep the classroom current
It is the responsibility of the teacher to teach the ideals of the past
It is the responsibility of the teacher to grant their students the truth about history

to share all sides of a country’s beginning
and not just the side that is comfortable to portray
to be able to explain why we really celebrate Columbus Day

It is the responsibility of the teacher to keep the classroom clean
It is the responsibility of the teacher to keep the classroom decorated
It is the responsibility of the teacher to cover up aid-granting posters on testing days
It is the responsibility of the teacher to defend their classroom

in a time where the school can become a battleground
sparked by the impulse of a student who could not be reached
despite the attempts of his educators.

It is the responsibility of the teacher to be compassionate
It is the responsibility of the teacher to be rational
It is the responsibility of the teacher to do what is right for the child

even if that means holding them back a year
or giving the occasional bad grade
despite scathing emails from the overbearing mother

It is the responsibility of the parent to let the teacher teach
It is the responsibility of the teacher to educate the uneducated

to reach the unreachable
to speak to those who refuse to hear
and to work with a passion unmatched by other professions

Truthfully, it is the sole responsibility of the teacher to teach

regardless of all that they do by their own decision

It is the choice of the teacher to be human

another swim

far from inviting
on those storm-speckled nights
yet enticing on warm sunday mornings
your deep, royal blue is a sight to behold
as the sun lends you her sparkle
for a moment,
it seems

the sun-stricken grains
stand guard to your presence
and separate us, still.
they burn my soles with every step,
and it’s almost as though
they’d rather strip my skin
than see you and I
together

and yet, with open arms,
we meet again
but your riptides whisper “no promises”
and your voice
cracks,
with each hello you speak

have your roars always been this loud?
and your surf so quick to crash?
these cloud-lined waves were a cruel illusion
for this tumble is anything
but soft
help me stay afloat, old friend
I thought we were a team?

once a glimmer so inviting
now revealed as your
wicked game
I’ve thrashed my arms
and kicked my legs
tell me,
why should I remain?

Meghan Scheuing graduated with a BA in communications with a specialization in strategic public relations and a double minor in creative writing and DCIM. As a Spring 2022 graduate, she is eager to take on the world and use all she has learned at Rutgers University to make a life for herself that she loves.