Home » Poems » Gershon Wolf » The Story of My Life - for Contest

The Story of My Life - for Contest

      You must not be a teacher my dad said
      A teacher can’t afford a loaf of bread
         So I just bounced all around
         From job to job, town to town
      Got a teaching job after dad was dead




        Entry in 'A 5-Liner on Your Life' contest
                Sponsor: Andrea Dietrich
                  Date: March 13, 2025

careerfather sonpovertyteacherlimerick

♡Like0

Poem

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Terry Miller

March 23, 2025 at 3:55 AM

Nice one Gershon, congratulations

Gershon Wolf

March 23, 2025 at 8:10 PM

Thanks for noticing, Terry. Appreciated. ~ Gershon

Karen Jones

March 22, 2025 at 5:50 PM

Wow this is cool! Congrats on your win!

Gershon Wolf

March 23, 2025 at 8:16 PM

Thanks for noticing one of my rare wins, Karen. Appreciated. ~ Gershon

Andrea Dietrich

March 22, 2025 at 3:31 PM

This is a cute one. Congrats in my contest. Even worse than teacher money wise is being an ESL teacher in a private ESL school. I haven't gotten a raise in 20 years. Nobody gets more than 18 an hour. But I get more because I have been there 25 years! I just stay there because it's a wonderful atmosphere and I am retired and working only 15 hours now.

Gershon Wolf

March 23, 2025 at 8:17 PM

I'd like to have a mornings-only gig. Everything is Zoom here now, however, which I do not want to teach on -- having done it before. Oh, well...

Oliver Mckeithan

March 17, 2025 at 8:45 PM

I bet you became an excellent teacher Gershon. Nice one.

David Crandall

March 14, 2025 at 8:38 PM

Sounds like you were meant to be a teacher!

Gershon Wolf

March 23, 2025 at 8:20 PM

You are right. I knew it when I was seven. But it took me until 40 to get up the guts to earn the meager salary that goes to non-certified teachers. 'Twas worth it, though. Thanks, David.

Michael Tor

March 14, 2025 at 5:40 PM

You followed your dream not your dads and money isn't everything cause you bake your own bread and you can afford it that way lol...

Gershon Wolf

March 23, 2025 at 8:25 PM

Bake my own bread and make my own bed. Ha, ha. Thanks, Michael. ~ Gershon

Tom Cunningham

March 14, 2025 at 2:44 PM

Sounds like you graduated from the school of life before you started teaching. Tom

Gershon Wolf

March 23, 2025 at 8:28 PM

Yep. One degree from the 'School of Hard Knocks.' The second from 'Atsamata U.' Second one is interesting, eh?

Kim Rodrigues

March 14, 2025 at 2:00 PM

That’ll show him (lightly said). I told my dad I was interested in psychology…he told me that they don’t make any money…lol. But you can’t change who you are. People still fascinate me. :)

Gershon Wolf

March 23, 2025 at 8:31 PM

People still fascinate me, too. ~ Ziggy Freud

John Lawless

March 14, 2025 at 11:58 AM

Another graduate of the school of hard knocks....learned he alphabet playing with blocks...then hit the street....one shoe for both feet...yet none of his jobs required punching of clocks

Gershon Wolf

March 23, 2025 at 8:34 PM

Nice comment, John. Limericks are always welcome.

CayCay Godwin

March 14, 2025 at 2:00 AM

My Father was thrilled when my younger sister went to college, not so when she got a degree in Mathematics and Teaching. Frankly, I agree. I didn't go to college like my sibs, but I made more money than the two of them together working as an Executive Assistant for 38 years. If you have to be away from home 10 hours each weekday, for gosh sake, make money. After writing all that, I sense you may have made some/all of the limerick up for rhyming reasons???? Andrea will like the humor.

Gershon Wolf

March 23, 2025 at 8:36 PM

Nope. It's 100% true. Did I fool you there? Didn't mean to.