I Am Aging And I Know This Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

I am aging and I know this,
With a doing to show.
My tolerance level,
Has lowered tremendously.
And excuses made by others I hear,
Immediately reminds me...
Of an elementary teacher I once had,
Who slammed a yardstick on my desk...
With a telling me, 'SHUT UP!
Am I here to teach?
Or listen to your nonsense? '

And...
Not knowing if this was a test I responded,
~I'm sorry.
Do you mind repeating those choices again? ~

'Go stand in that corner.
And if you move...
You will know if you've made the right choice.'

I am aging and I know this,
With a doing to show.
My tolerance level,
Has lowered tremendously.
And excuses made by others I hear,
Immediately reminds me...
Of an elementary teacher I once had.
And as I reminisce,
Those lessons I had then been taught...
Makes me today less tolerant.