Piggybacking on Jeanne’s and Lemming’s posts about National Pottery Poetry Month, I must add my favorite poem that I first heard in the last year or so. I heard Stephen Breyer say it on C-SPAN (In fact, I blogged about it before) and I was just enchanted. It is by the Canadian poet Tom Wayman, and is valid not only for students, about whom it was written, but also for those who are chronically late for/absent from meetings. [NB Please excuse the weird formatting because of the columnar nature of this blog.]

Did I Miss Anything?

Nothing. When we realized you weren’t here
we sat with our hands folded on our desks
in silence, for the full two hours

        Everything. I gave an exam worth
        40 per cent of the grade for this term
        and assigned some reading due today
        on which I’m about to hand out a quiz
        worth 50 per cent

Nothing. None of the content of this course
has value or meaning
Take as many days off as you like:
any activities we undertake as a class
I assure you will not matter either to you or me
and are without purpose

        Everything. A few minutes after we began last time
        a shaft of light descended and an angel
        or other heavenly being appeared
        and revealed to us what each woman or man must do
        to attain divine wisdom in this life and
        the hereafter
        This is the last time the class will meet
        before we disperse to bring this good news to all people
                on earth

Nothing. When you are not present
how could something significant occur?

        Everything. Contained in this classroom
        is a microcosm of human existence
        assembled for you to query and examine and ponder
        This is not the only place such an opportunity has been
                gathered

        but it was one place

        And you weren’t here