Irving's Botany Poem by Barry Van Allen

He was a teacher,
but, I wonder if he taught me,
or I learned, against my will,
what he intended?

Make no mistake - - -
I learned some things from him,
even some of what he meant,
but, not enough to make him,
ever feel fulfilled, I think.

He was a teacher,
but, more of a professor,
professing attitudes at school kids,
that most of us weren't ready for quite yet.

All that being said,
I learned some real things,
weather I intended to, or not...
I still got taught!

... NOW... That's a teacher!

Maybe it was pounded into,
my somewhat solid head,
- - - but, the fact that some got in there,
is a testament to him.

The education system does presume,
that everyone progresses as predicted,
... according to a schedule,
that everyone pretends to...
... but, no one understands.

That is a great idea for cutting cookies,
Henry Ford adapted that so brilliantly,
when it came to building cars,
- - - But, when it comes to building people,
- - - it is a terrible idea!

A mother's soon forgotten pain,
along with loving efforts,
winds up with vague disdain,
in a teenage child's garden,
where unremembered lessons,
turn into major league rebellion,
for reasons that nobody understands,
... or ever wants to now remember,
of themselves when they recall,
when they were youngsters lost in hormones!

Still somehow, lack of wisdom,
makes them wag the index finger,
at their progeny...
with predictable results.

The only hope is that some teacher,
somewhere along the way,
casts the proper fertilizer,
and causes your wayward seed,
to be a bloom in the bright sunshine,
in the garden of humanity.