Words from a Teacher's Past, 17

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #4: (a) abyss, (b) imminent

My fall into the great abyss

Was imminent, I knew.

My problem? I did not know what

I really ought to do.

And so I tottered on the edge,

Debating every choice.

The edge gave way, and you could hear

My now-soprano voice

As I descended. Seemed a mile

Before I hit the ground.

Yes, I, Coyote, fooled again—

Is Road Runner around?

Words from a Teacher's Past, 16

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #3: (i) amiable, (j) imperative

1. Oh, his looks were deceiving—so amiable.

But then he was a conman—his tool kit was full

With the tricks and deceptions so key to his trade—

Oh, the folks he betrayed! Oh, the money he made!

2. The cops thought it imperative

To find the dude—and soon.

And so they did—in fact, they caught

Him that same day at noon.

They cuffed him in a coffee shop

(The cuffs ’most crunched his bones).

They knew he’d be there, for he was

Addicted to their scones.

Words from a Teacher's Past, 15

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #3: (g) simultaneous, (h) antagonist

The cheer was simultaneous—

It really was a roar.

He punched that vile antagonist—

And when he hit the floor,

We all were shocked—The bully fell!

He lay there—even wept.

And we went home—exuberant—

With such relief we slept!

Words from a Teacher's Past, 14

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #3: (e) persevere, (f) peril

If you’re in peril, persevere!

Unless, of course, the danger’s near.

And then you have a choice—just one:

Don’t stay and die—but run, run, run!

Words from a Teacher's Past, 13

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #3: (c) impel, (d) invariably

I do not know what can impel

A man who wants to go to sea

To bounce around on wave and swell

And do it all invariably.

For getting seasick—not too fun.

In fact, it’s downright evident

That if you are the only one,

The others soon are malcontent!

Words from a Teacher's Past, 12

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #3: (a) ravenous, (b) ominous

Oh, ominous, it truly was—

And I can make this point because

That shark looked truly ravenous—

And he was staring right at us!

I swam as quickly as I could—

The shark just laughed (did not sound good),

Then bit my leg off, just to taste,

And then consumed me—left no waste.

Above I’d seen a raven soar—

Had heard him croaking, “Nevermore!”

Words from a Teacher's Past, 11

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #2: (i) ecstasy, (j) querulous

You shouldn’t be so querulous—

You’re always making such a fuss

About things that don’t worry me,

For I, you know, choose ecstasy—

No, not the drug! The way of life—

The books, the films, and (best!) my wife.

Words from a Teacher's Past, 10

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #2: (g) implore, (h) vermin

Oh, I implore you, Mr. Rat,

From terrorizing our old cat.

You should just act as vermin do:

You see our cat and run right through

The house and out into the yard—

Come on and do it! It’s not hard.

Our cat is losing self-respect—
He loses more? His life is wrecked!

Words from a Teacher's Past, 9

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #2: (e) industrious, (f) voracious

It was a most voracious bear—

Industrious, as well.

He ate me up in several bites,

As far as I could tell.

Inside the bear it smelled a bit—

And was a little hot.

Adjustments I will have to make

To this new world I’ve got.

Words from a Teacher's Past, 8

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #2: (c) zealous, (d) foreboding

His feeling of foreboding was

The reason that he ran away.

He was afraid, of course, because

His zealous passion, night and day,

For hunting down those dreadful ghosts

Had disappeared. He’d seen a real

One—panicked—and those raucous boasts

Of his now paled. So he took heel.

Words from a Teacher's Past, 7

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #2: (a) obstinate, (b) disperse

“Why must you be so obstinate!”

The officer exclaimed.

“I ordered you to all disperse!

You all should be ashamed!”

But nothing really moved at all—

Despite the angry words.

For pigeons know no language—and

They are, of course, just birds.

Words from a Teacher's Past, 6

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #1: (i) lucid, (j) infallible

Yes, he is lucid, I’ll agree—

Infallible? That’s something new.

I guess we’ll have to wait and see

The things he’ll think about—and do.

Mistakes belong to everyone—

The young, the old, and in between—

And so before his life is done,

I’m sure he’ll misspell guillotine!

Words from a Teacher's Past, 5

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #1: (g) placid, (h) precaution

I’ve tried to be more placid since

I crashed into the neighbors’ fence.

But they reacted in a style

That made me feel I was on trial.

As a “precaution,” so they said,

They bought a puma. (Oh, my dread!)

So if I crashed that fence again,

The puma’d dine, from head to shin,

On me, just trapped there in the wreck.

Are pumas legal? (Better check!)

Words from a Teacher's Past, 4

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #1: (e) exert, (f) immolate

He stood and watched it immolate—

Did not exert himself at all.

He didn’t even make a call

To 911—oh, that’s not great.

It was the jail where he’d been held

For all those years—back in the day

When he’d done crimes, got put away.

“Now finally—at last!” he yelled,

“The jail—yes, the abandoned one—

Is burning now—that’s justice, Yo!”

But then, just as he turned to go,

The cops showed up. The end of fun.

Words from a Teacher's Past, 3

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #1: (c) myriad, (d) formidable

The issues were formidable—

And there were myriads of them.

Who needs a really peaceful bull—

Who loves his flowers on a stem?

Yes, Ferdinand had issues, Yo.

It seemed there really was no cure.

For all he wished to do was go

And smell those roses—weird, for sure!

Words from a Teacher's Past, 2

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

List #1: (a) divert, (b) torrent

“Divert the torrent! Are you mad?

The worst idea you have had!”

He simply looked at me and grinned—

“You have to do it! Then we’ll mend

The dam.” And so I waded out—

And soon found out what it’s about.

The water carried me away—

And swiftly so. (Floods do not play.)

And now I’m on some island where

I hide from some huge grizzly bear

Who’s bent—and this is just a hunch—

On having me one day for lunch!

Words from a Teacher's Past: 1995-96

The academic year 1995-96 was my final full year of public-school teaching. I retired from the Harmon Middle School (Aurora, Ohio) in January 1997. The other day I came across the vocabulary list I used that final full year and decided it would be fun--for me, if not for you!--to write some silly poems with all of those words, two per day.

As it says at the bottom of the list, all of the words came from the reading we would do during the year, and a lot of them were from The Call of the Wild, which we read the final marking period.

Anyway, here we go ... with a little introductory ditty first ...

“Words, words, words.”

—    Hamlet (2.2)

A List and a Trip

And now a different kind of trip—

Not places, no, but words.

But not a dictionary jaunt—

Where words appear in herds!

No, this is through a certain list—

A list I used in class—

Mid-90s as I cruised along

Throughout that year—my last.

My 8^th grade students learned these words

In that, my final year.

So lets review them all again—

We’ll do it all right here!

Show Me the Place, 103

“Show me the place.”

Duke Senior in As You Like It (2.1)

Finis

And so another journey ends—

Begun so long ago—

These visits to the sites I’ve loved

That still in memory glow.

So many of those journeys were

Like gold to Joyce and me

As we drove all across this land—

From sea to shining sea.

Those alabaster cities—yes.

Those amber waves of grain.

I hope those lines speak for themselves—

I don’t need to explain.

And soon we will be off again—

Another kind of trip.

I hope you’ll join me on that jaunt—

I love this partnership.

Show Me the Place, 102

“Show me the place.”

Duke Senior in As You Like It (2.1)

102: Mark Twain House—Stormfield—Redding, Connecticut; July 21, 2008

This is the last place Twain would be—

He’d lost so much—his family.

But built this home up in the hills—

With views of trees and sky and rills.

Twain died, of course in 1910–

Most celebrated he was then—

With Halley’s Comet in the sky*

Announcing it was time to die.

The house is gone now**—but the scene

Remains—so bright and lush and green.

I saw it on a perfect day—

And felt Twain’s presence—every way.

*It had also been in the sky at his birth in 1835.

**burned down in 1923

Show Me the Place, 101

“Show me the place.”

Duke Senior in As You Like It (2.1)

101: Mark Twain House (1874–91); Hartford, Connecticut; July 17, 2002

In Hartford is their “dream house”—yes,

The Twains were happy there.

Designed around their interests,

It was a special lair.

I toured the place—oh, years ago—

And felt a sadness grow.

For sorrow later filled that house*—

And Mark Twain had to go.

*the death of Susy Clemens, daughter, 24, while the others were abroad in Europe

Show Me the Place, 100

“Show me the place.”

Duke Senior in As You Like It (2.1)

100: Hannibal, Missouri; Boyhood Home of Mark Twain; July 15, 2004

We stopped there on our honeymoon—

Late 1969.

And saw the house where Twain grew up—

The river, very fine.

We’ve been there other times, as well—

I toured that famous cave

You read about (Tom Sawyer)—oh,

Those boys could misbehave!

The Mississippi flows right by—

That river charmed the lad—

And we’re the lucky ones because

Of all his tales we’ve had.

Show Me the Place, 99

“Show me the place.”

Duke Senior in As You Like It (2.1)

99: Florida, Missouri; Birthplace of Mark Twain; June 7, 2008

A tiny town—not far away

From Hannibal,* the town

Where Twain grew up. His stories there

Brought him deserved renown.

But he was born in Florida—

And that small house still stands—

Inside the Twain museum there—

There in the hinterlands.

We drove there once—and saw the place

Where little Sam arrived.

And that museum we toured, as well—

So glad that Sam survived!

*about 40 mi sw of Hannibal