Come far

From baby to little girl

Talk to the wind and a squirrel

Picking rocks in grandma’s backyard

Write to receive pen pal postcard

Grammar school was fun

Love swinging under the sun

For five cents, chew super bubble

Like the crunch of eating an apple

Junior high was a horror

Two years filled with anger

Fights and gang violence

Classmates killed, Monday morning silence

Overcame bullying to salutatorian

Happy to graduate, felt born again

High school was a blast

Made many friends, years went by fast

Explored writing, loved geology

Roam through Central Park carefree

College years took many turns

Dropouts and several returns

Eventually graduating with a degree

Who’d have thought I ended up with three?

From interning as a geology major

A great experience I’ll remember forever

To teaching adult literacy and ESL

Something new I would surprisingly do well

First full time job, new profession

Enjoyed teaching in Manhattan and Brooklyn

Nice boss, co-workers and I became friends

Attended conferences on the weekends

Students worked hard, good personality

Always felt honored how they welcomed me

Dance and sing when teaching grammar

Learned about job search and interview posture

Would tell students that English is like a test

“It’s a process, always try your best”

Questionable budget cuts, hip illness

Classes stopped, feeling hopeless

Stand amongst many on the unemployment line

Smile pretending to be fine

January was the date for surgery

Quiet and gloomy Thursday

Scared but remained brave

Recovered and spiritually forgave

Wrote a lot, pursued a new career

Will begin grad school next year

Teaching is missed everyday

Currently volunteer near a favorite café

Still unable to land a job, feel like a failure

Wish I could erase this ugly picture

This time of life is rough

Wonder if I’ve come far enough