By Walter Bowne
I
Down the hall, down the hall,
Half a hall onward,
All into the Classroom of Death
Strode the six hundred.
“Forward, the Teacher Brigade!
“Charge those iPads!” he said.
Into the Classroom of Death,
Strode the six hundred
II
“Forward, the Teacher Brigade!”
Was there a parent dismayed?
Not though the teacher knew
Someone had bloopered.
Theirs not to Voice reply,
Theirs not to Union why,
Theirs but to teach and, maybe, die.
Back to the rooms of Death,
Strode the six hundred.
III
Covid to the right of them,
Covid to the left of them.
Covid in front of them,
Seeped and mutated;
Circulated through mask and vent;
Boldly, they stode without fret,
Into the windowless cells of Death,
Inhaling the aerosols they went,
Strode the six hundred.
IV
Flashed their face shields bare,
Flashed their smiles with hesitant care,
Pointing to the 44% of the pupils there,
Leading their scholars, while
All the community, did they wonder?
Plunged the invisible Army of Amorality;
Right through the masks it broke;
Child and teacher,
Sucked in the toxic yoke;
Silent, yet dormant COVID thundered.
They returned home, yes,
But eventually, not,
Not the six hundred
V
Covid to the right of them!
Covid to the left of them!
Covid behind them!
Seeping and mutating;
Circulating through mask and vent,
While child and teacher fell,
They that had tried to learn so well
Crawled out from Institutions of Death,
Back from the Petri dish, oh well!
All that was left of them,
Left of the six hundred.
VI
When can their glory fade?
Oh, the wild sacrifice they made!
And all the country, did they wonder?
Honor the synchronous lessons they made!
Honor the Teacher Brigade,
Foolish, yet noble six hundred.
Walter Bowne reads “The Charge of the Teacher Brigade”.
During his day job, Walter Bowne teaches AP Lang and Composition, American literature, and journalism in New Jersey. But at night, under the flicker of candlelight, Walter Bowne attempts to write comedy, first person essays of utter humiliation, and a novel of satire about education that grows by 1K each day. He has been published in numerous newspapers and magazines. Follow him on YouTube at Walter Bowne and “Down with Bowne” on Spotify.