Mrs. Ram's Jams

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    • A Poem: Mistake

      Posted at 8:56 am by Mrs. Ram Jam, on January 30, 2021
      Miss, take my hopeful heart and
      eat it à la carte.
      
      This part,
      this art, 
      this ache.
       
      There's too much at 
      stake.
      
      Stake it to your
      kiss.
      Stake it to your
      abyss.
      
      This.
      
      Miss, take it for 
      my sake--
      before you find out I'm 
      a selfish rake.
      
      Eat it
      raw.
      Don't let it
      bake.
      
      Miss, take my hopeful heart--
      before you realize it's 
      a mistake. 
      
      
      Posted in poems, poetry, Uncategorized | 2 Comments | Tagged poem, poems, poetry
    • A Teacher Poem: Going Through the eMotions

      Posted at 10:46 am by Mrs. Ram Jam, on December 19, 2020
      plaster a big smile on your face
      even though it's hidden by your mask
      wish the mask covered up your eyes too
      because you're end of the school year tired but it's only December
      because it's hard to fake enthusiasm with your retinas and your pupils

      remind your in-person pupils, all twelve of them, to keep their space
      don't touch his desk
      or his backpack
      or his breakfast

      pinch your nose and close your eyes while you tell him for the umpteenth time to get his mask over his nose
      lose your mind as he covers his eyeballs with it
      because the sass, the audacity, is too much
      because you're jealous

      begin going through the eMotions

      start your Google Meet
      check you COVID screening spreadsheet
      tell a student that if she doesn't turn her camera on, she will be marked absent
      she doesn't
      choke on your sigh of frustration
      because she never listens
      because you don't know if she's with her mom or her dad
      because she might not even be there
      because you don't know if she has anything to eat today
      be thankful that the resolution sucks so the kids at home don't see the tear leaking out of your left eye
      but the resolution IRL works just fine
      nobody sees anyway because they're teenagers who have screens for faces

      you're overwhelmed by going through the eMotions

      put on a dog and pony show, a three ring circus, an Oscar worthy performance to try to get anybody to talk during the lesson
      but the only thing you can hear is the clack clack clack of the keys

      let them type their exit tickets while you recall pen and paper with nostalgia, the worst emotion of them all

      work on fully digitizing a week's worth of lessons
      turn pink and then red when you remember you can't use anything you've spent hours creating next school year because the curriculum is switching for the second time in two years
      angry pound the keys as you type with a force that could shatter
      your fingernails
      your desk
      the county

      because you're tired of going through the eMotions

      sift through Google Classroom for an assignment that he completed three weeks late that he expects to be graded RIGHT NOW
      and so does his mom
      she's only emailed you five times about it
      you've responded once in return
      the assignment's only half done
      like the school year
      like your sanity
      like your self-esteem

      ignore the other late work emails

      rest your forehead on your desk
      stare at your lap and breathe, breathe, breathe deep
      look up to see if anyone witnessed your saga, your mental break down, your calamity
      but they're teenagers who have screens for faces and Ray-Bradbury-is-rolling-over-in-his-grave
      AirPods
      because they're only concerned about their own emotions, not yours

      and you're marrow-deep tired of going through the eMotions

      so

      you hand them a book--tactile, paper, cover, spine, pages to turn, black ink
      and they stare at it like their mom put Brussels sprouts on their plate
      when you've actually given them chocolate cake

      because you're tired of eMotions

      you smile, a real one this time, that lights up your bloodshot eyes
      because books
      because the bell rang
      because it's finally break
      and you've got two weeks off from going through the motions

      try to turn off your inner monologue as you power down your Dell
      but you know that you'll spend your entire break
      going through your emotions
      Posted in education, poems, poetry, teaching | 0 Comments | Tagged poems, poems about teaching, poetry
    • A Teacher Poem: We’re in Trouble, Shoot!

      Posted at 9:34 am by Mrs. Ram Jam, on September 26, 2020
      trouble
      trouble
      troubleshoot
      nobody can hear me
      i've been speaking but i'm on mute
      
      trouble
      trouble
      troubleshoot
      caydon let the Zoom
      because his Chromebook needed to reboot
      
      trouble
      trouble
      troubleshoot
      amira's not paying attention
      because she's choosing a filter to make her look cute
      
      trouble
      trouble 
      troubleshoot
      nobody can hear me
      i've been speaking but i'm on mute
      
      trouble
      trouble 
      troubleshoot
      owen! turn off your camera!
      your dad just walked by in his birthday suit!
      
      trouble
      trouble
      troubleshoot
      mj's Google Doc won't load
      so he can't do the lesson on greek and latin roots
      
      trouble
      trouble
      troubleshoot
      i forgot to click record at the beginning of class
      hope i'm not slapped with a lawsuit
      
      trouble
      trouble
      troubleshoot
      Nobody can hear me. 
      I've been speaking, but I'm on mute.
      
      We're in trouble, trouble, trouble. Shoot!
      Nobody can hear us.
      We've been speaking, but we're on mute.
      
      We're in
      trouble
      trouble
      trouble, bang!
      
      trouble shots fired!
      bang!
      all the teachers are tired
      
      trouble shots fired!
      bang!
      am i too young to retire?
      
      We're in trouble, trouble, trouble, shoot!
      Nobody can hear teachers.
      They've been speaking, but they're on mute.
      
      We're in trouble!
      Shots fired!
      Bang!
      
      We're in trouble!
      Don't shoot the messenger!
      Bang!
      
      The traditional classroom is dead.
      It isn't funny.
      Time of death:  2020.
      
      We're in trouble, trouble, trouble.
      Shoot!
      
      Posted in poems, poetry, teaching, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged poem, poems, poems about teaching, poetry, troubleshoot
    • A Few Haiku in Memory of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

      Posted at 10:10 am by Mrs. Ram Jam, on September 19, 2020

      She fought for justice 
      for all, against mustaches.
      Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
      
      Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
      Dissent collars and statement 
      earrings and glasses.
      
      The right in the world
      feels so very wrong today.
      Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
      
      Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
      Thank you for all you have done.
      We'll be persistent.
      
      
      
      https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg_2016_portrait.jpg
      Posted in poems, poetry | 1 Comment | Tagged haiku, poems, poetry, rbg, ruth bader ginsburg
    • A Teacher Poem: Invisible Students

      Posted at 8:17 am by Mrs. Ram Jam, on August 22, 2020
      invisible students
      cameras clicked off and microphones muted
      can't even mark them truant
      because i'm teaching invisible students
      
      invisible students
      masks hiding their faces
      making them feel stupid and like mutants
      because i'm teaching invisible students
      
      who don't want to talk
      because nothing is normal
      
      the People in Charge 
      have stopped offering improvements
      because we're teaching 
      
      invisible students
      living in the paranormal
      ghosted translucent
      
      the People in Charge 
      are being imprudent
      because 
      They 
      don't care that we're teaching 
      invisible students
      
      
      
      
      
      Posted in education, poems, poetry | 2 Comments | Tagged poems, poems about teaching, poetry, poetry about teaching
    • A Poem: Thin Air

      Posted at 10:23 am by Mrs. Ram Jam, on July 18, 2020

      you’re thin air
      i need an oxygen mask
      because you’re blowing thin air
      i gasp and i gasp and i gasp
      and i sigh

      because i can’t breathe your thin air

      you’re breathing in lies and breathing out lines
      i can no longer ignore the signs
      when you’re weaving thick lies out of thin air

      your thin air is under pressure
      your thick lies are under pressure
      think you can press my face into the gas
      for your pleasure

      i can’t breathe because you’re pressing my face into the gas for your pleasure

      i’m under pressure
      i’m under pressure
      and i’ve got one question to ask
      for good measure

      how can you be so cold when you’re full of hot air?

      i gasp and i gasp and i gasp
      and i sigh

      if i stay here a moment longer
      i’ll disappear into thin air
      but my lungs are getting stronger

      My lungs have gotten stronger.
      I won’t stay a moment longer.

      Because I can’t breathe your hot air.
      No more oxygen masks
      because I’m through with thin air.

      You’re out of thin air.
      My lungs have gotten stronger.

      And you’ve disappeared into thin air.

      white clouds in pink and blue clouds

      Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Pexels.com

      Posted in poems, poetry, Uncategorized, writing | 4 Comments | Tagged out of thin air, poem, poems, poetry, thin air
    • A Poem: Me Me Me Meme

      Posted at 9:50 am by Mrs. Ram Jam, on June 27, 2020

      Me me me meme
      me gets me news from a meme

      You you you youth
      you ignore the truth

      We we we Westerners
      we look like misinformed questioners

      Me me me meme
      open the economy
      You you you youth
      keep hanging out in groups
      We we we wealthy
      don’t care if the masses are healthy

      Me Me Me Me
      and
      You You You You
      and
      We We We We

      are fucked.

      Posted in poems, poetry, Uncategorized | 2 Comments | Tagged poems, poetry, political poems
    • A Poem: When It’s Time to Kneel

      Posted at 8:09 am by Mrs. Ram Jam, on May 30, 2020

      When it’s time to Kneel, Keep in mind how black men Kneeling in peaceful protest made you feel.

      When it’s time to Kneel, Keep in mind how history Kindles and spins a white, privileged wheel.

      When it’s time to Kneel, Keep in mind how mothers Keening over their murdered black sons’ graves is real.

      Because it’s never time to kneel on a black man’s neck on the asphalt. It’s not their fault.

      Because when are you going to stand up instead of just kneel?

      Because it’s time for you to stand up, Neil.

      Stand up, Neil.

      People, Man, Alone, Praying, Kneel, Down

      (image taken from Pixabay)

      Posted in poems, Uncategorized | 2 Comments | Tagged blacklivesmatter, poems, poetry
    • A Poem: I Know More Than You

      Posted at 9:26 am by Mrs. Ram Jam, on May 9, 2020

      I don’t know who or what to believe anymore

      so I’ll just put My trust in youtube folklore

      the experts are crooks

      who want Me to read books

      and wear a mask

      what an unpatriotic task

      you can’t tell Me what to do

      because I’ve got google and it knows more than you

      I’ll keep My gun on My hip

      and call you a dip shit

      for believing in science

      screw your feminist liberal defiance

      you can’t tell Me what to do

      because I’m a man and will always know more than you

      everything will go back to the way it was before

      just go ahead and reopen the economy’s door

      because your life doesn’t matter as much

      as Me being able to get a decent haircut and such

      you can’t tell Me what to do

      because I will never let you forget that I know more than you

      Posted in poems, poetry | 8 Comments | Tagged coronavirus, covid-19, poems, poetry
    • A Poem: Sunshine and Turpentine

      Posted at 10:03 am by Mrs. Ram Jam, on April 11, 2020

      On an indigo whim,
      she sweeps her soul into sunshine and turpentine,
      whispering its bouquet to the wind.

      It butterflies like dandelion fluff,
      parachuting on the breeze.

      While teasing the ground,
      with ambrosial and noisome sounds,
      it harmonizes into hymns of him–
      a heady elixir that grieves the miles, the years, the bigger picture–
      and lands on his sleeve.

      He breathes in her song, her scent–
      what went wrong and what it all meant–
      and breathes out: I was never enough.

      white dandelion under blue sky and white cloud

      Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

      Posted in poems, poetry, Uncategorized | 3 Comments | Tagged poem, poems, poetry, writing
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