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I once took a high school poetry class

& for an assignment wrote one of those typical

Emotion - dripping ******* poems

( I'm sure you know the kind I mean ! )

••

The next day the teacher

Asked me to stay after class

And she then came over frowning in disgust

Threw my poem on the desk

and said

I ' VE NEVER BEEN MORE INSULTED
IN MY LIFE !

I looked down at the paper and saw

She had given me a       B

//

I looked up confused


She said

OH

IT WASNT BAD IN  COMPARISON TO

THE CLASS

BUT WE BOTH KNOW WHAT IT IS !

As I got up to leave she said

JEFF !

ARE YOU GONNA WASTE YOUR WHOLE LIFE !?

//

Well

That night I wrote a real poem

And gave it to her in the morning

Asking if I could submit a replacement poem

She said OKAY

//

That afternoon she asked me again to

Stay after class

••

She came over smiling and beaming

Said THANK YOU

with almost -tears in her eyes

I looked down and saw my grade           C

//

BUT !

I started to say

She just smiled and said

THE OTHER POEM WAS A WELL WRITTEN
PIECE OF CRAP

•

THIS ONE !

THIS ONE IS IN A DIFFERENT LEAGUE

THIS ONE IS IN THE LEAGUE

OF THE REAL POETS OF THE AGES !

COMPARED TO THEM !

ITS A       C

She paused and said

MAYBE A       C+ !

//

I got up and floated out the door

//