When I left the high school for the last time
on Friday, March 13
I thought we’d be closed for a week.
Maybe Two.
I told my students to enjoy the week off.
I didn’t bother saying goodbye to the students
I didn’t have that day.
I left a water bottle in my room.
I left a stack of papers, ungraded.
I left a sweater.
I left homework written on the board.
I miss my students.
I miss even the annoying ones.
I miss the busy halls and filled-up lunchroom.
I miss the hectic joy of graduating seniors.
I wish we knew, when we left, that we were leaving
Because now we’re gone
And the school is a ghost town
But the ghosts have all left.
I am sitting at a teacher’s desk.
Not my desk, a borrowed room.
Staring at an orange backpack with
A broken zipper and a cat emblem.
This desk is familiar. There is a torn paper
Plate, a half-eaten sucker, two paper clips, and
Several stacks of ungraded papers dated
A couple of months ago on this desk.
With a two-inch pencil, I dig out a small half
Broken daisy key chain from the rubble.
The edge of one paper has cocoa or pudding
Spilled on it. I am comfortable here. This
Mess is familiar.
Part of my day entails going class to
Class. When the teacher leaves, if I’m
Comfortable I might pry. I’m at a new desk
Now. A recently sanitized desk. I slowly
Pull the top drawer open. There are two
Crisply sharpened pencils. Nothing else.
I slam the drawer shut, uncomfortable
Poking around in this desk, knowing
When the teacher comes back she will
Know if I have switched these pencils
Or even looked at them. It’s that kind
Of room. There is nothing on the
desk top.