Tonight's Poet Corner: Introspection

This week, I yielded more yearbook power to my students and freaked out.

I dealt with various questions about a unit project that were all answered by the instruction sheet and rubric I wrote and shared with my students.

I came down with a cold that made me feel like I was hit by a train for two days.

I had to withstand constant drama from the teenagers I work with.

And had to manage a tense and stressed out staff.

And had to find a way to balance out their demands with the demands of an adult volunteer with high expectations.

And had to respond to countless aggressive messages from my students.

And had to read the constant news about a potential rapist and emotional partisan hack becoming a Supreme Court justice because screw my country.

And on top of that, I had to watch the ending of the Of Mice and Men film adaptation four times.

Can I just...

Can I just get a break?

Can I just make breakfast with my wife tomorrow and go check out costumes that the local high school drama department is selling?

Can I just spend quality time with my parents, while we practice the song we're going to perform for my sister's wedding later this month?

Can I just enjoy my second wedding anniversary with the love of my life without all this anxiety and pressure?

I just feel like I'm going to hit burn-out before the second of year of my teaching at a public school is even at the halfway point. I just want to write. And self-publish my novel. And get my scripts read and acted out. And feel at ease. I miss that feeling. I want it back.

Can I return to that point, please?

Please?

I hope you find peace, my dear readers.

Have a great night and a great week, everyone.