Member-only story
But you are…
A poem
A 4th grader steps in to the café with her mother anxious,
Already antsy, she can’t sit still with her tutor,
Rushes to her mother not out of fear, she’s done this several times before,
The mother orders a sweet drink to ease her daughter’s nerves.
Sitting patiently with her tutor, counting the minutes of compliance,
Word problem after word problem, writing prompt after writing prompt,
A tantrum creeps on the tutor like a snake in the foliage,
And when she strikes the session is immobile by poisonous protest.
The mother returns for pick-up and graciously apologizes for her behavior,
There seems to be a pattern she admits,
The tutor consoles her with Yes, but she’s smart and capable,
You hear that, she says you’re smart and capable.
What is meant to be encouragement only strikes a chord,
I’m not smart deadpanned, spoken as fact, and not rebellious,
Frustration that resonates with the beguilement as a harmonic,
Reassurance quickly follows but there’s no use in convincing.
but you are… smart,
no, I’m not,
why would you say that?,
because I’m not,
I have written proof your IQ is higher than your classmates,
how?,
remember that test you took at school? it says so, but your grades say something else… what does that tell you?,
….
