last day of term

Computer screens will buzz with static

As the power drains from us; our energy

Gone from bodies feeling battered, bruised

And ready for a two week rest. Kids are gone

And teachers congregate in stuffy staff rooms,

Smiles are twitching at the corners of our mouths,

Knowing this is it, the end is here, we made it

With health intact and minds still ticking,

Just at a slightly slower rate. We hug

And wish each other Merry Christmas, pulling on

Our coats and scarves, loaded with a box of marking

Just in case we’re bored one day. For now we dream

Of wine in glasses large as bowls, and Christmas snacks

Laid in platters endlessly. Work can wait for now,

As can questions from those anxious students who

Claw at us for sweet attention every day;

They can wait until the new year rolls around.