glossy haired dignified
the children face the teacher
watching asking gifted guide
and telling some worst feature
crashing swirling shock and dying
shouting silent people reach
some are gone
some live on
others still inquiring
releasing firmer terror
of nature as a thief
protecting precious sanity
they break their silent grief
of two hundred heads
the lens lit tears
in two particular eyes
well trained to draw the shape of fears
for deadline compromise
but once the camera settled
from sublimated choice
all eyes were on the teacher
all ears on one child’s voice
*
