What can a teacher do?

What can a teacher do?
Inspired by What can a poem do? by Darius V. Daughtry

a teacher cannot save the universe

they cannot Wandavision your learning

with a combination of telekinesis

and neuroelectric interfacing

however much they'd like to

they cannot make you less bored

or goofy,

or wild

or cynical, or random, or less young,

although oftentimes they try

a teacher cannot mindread their way into your past

to erase the hurts,

scribble red pencil over accidents and false starts,

but they'll try their best with awkward talks

and forgiven faults

one teacher cannot raise teens from rabbit holes

by luring you from the black screen,

the bright lights and tantalizing tabs,

sometimes silence, sleep, or stillness

since it is your life,

your thoughts,

your bodies to breathe

but a teacher can tune in

teachers can invite you, incite you, 

untie you, and unite you

their tasks you will deem busy work or brilliant

useful or useless

tried or true

whether your mornings are a milestone,

or your afternoons an afterthought, 

it is your pen, your calculator, 

your camera, your mind,

your program to be made

a teacher can shuttle you to the runway--

you're in the plane about to take off into the great wide open,

a firely in the summer sky,

a swallow who soars,

a shooting star, 

a rocket on your way to the moon

but a teacher cannot set you aloft

because you are the one 

who will unfold your wings 

to fly  

what if teachers let you think for yourselves

gave you the space you needed to run

phrased the question in just the right way

knew just the moment you were ready 

to set distractions aside 

and dive into the deep black ocean below, 

where the creatures swim in schools 

of phosphorescence and slime 

until you look at us all side-eyed and say

my words are worthy

listen up

yeats said, "Education is not the filling of a pot
but the lighting of a fire."

a teacher can 

hand you the match