Local Gems Press
  • Home
  • Publishing
    • FAQs >
      • General Submission Guidelines
    • NoVa Bards
    • New Jersey Bards Poetry Review >
      • New Jersey Bards Preorders
    • Land's End Anthology
    • Pennsylvania Bards >
      • PA Bards East Preorders
    • Virginia Bards Central Virginia
    • Connecticut Bards >
      • Connecticut Bards 2022 Preorders
    • Delaware Bards
    • Maryland Bards
    • Twin Decades Anthology
    • Rhode Island Bards >
      • Rhode Island Bards Preorders
  • Poet's Academy
    • Writing in an eBook World
    • Selling Your Poetry Book Course
    • Putting Together A Poetry Book
    • Publishing Your Poetry Free Seminar
    • Submitting Your Book To A Publisher
    • Self-Publishing Your Book
    • Publishing VS Self-Publishing Virtual Seminar
    • Publishing Bundles Order Page
    • Selling Your Poetry Book Virtually
    • Japanese Poetry History and Forms
    • Planning a Poetry Book Tour
  • NaPoWriMo Contest
  • Bulk Orders
  • Blog
    • Ishwa's Poetry Blog
    • Nick Hale's Poetry Blog
  • Free Poetry Prompts
  • White Rose Bards Poetry Anthology
    • White Rose Bards Preorders
  • 15 Day Poetry Chapbook Challenge
  • Poetry Challenge Bundle
  • Phoenix Poetry Chapbook Challenge
  • North Carolina Bards Poetry Anthology
  • South Carolina Bards Poetry Anthology
  • Poetic Memoir Chapbook Challenge
  • 49 Haiku Challenge 2021
  • Poetry Recitation Contest
    • Recitation Contest Winners
  • Poets Anonymous 30th Anniversary Preorders
  • Poetry Forms Chapbook Challenge
  • Power Poetry Bundle

Visiting High School                (NaPoWriMo Poem 3)

4/5/2015

0 Comments

 
When I was going there
From 2000-2004,
Visitors came back all the time
People who graduated the year before
2 years before
Or even ten years before
People in their careers
Or just college students eager to visit
Their old friends
Or feeling nostalgia
For the heart of Northport
That was their home 5 days a week
For 4 years.
The doors, on all sides of the building
Were open
You technically were supposed to check in
With the front desk
But no one did
And no one cared.

Old friends who had come and gone
Would pop their heads into the class room
Greeted warmly by the teachers
Hang out in the library
With Mr. Hanley,
The coolest librarian in the world
Free of the burden of classes and warning bells.
By the time I had graduated
I managed to get in 1 visit like this
1 stress free, care-free visit
before the
post 9-11 hysteria
School shooting paranoia
Started keeping security guards at every door
Restrictions on visitor passes
And every entrance to the school locked.
I sometimes miss my high school
And want to go back there
And every time the thought crosses my mind
I sigh in disappointment
At the realization
I’d have a better chance
Of getting granted
A pass for visiting hours
At a prison.

Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Ishwa (James P. Wagner's) Poetry Express

    About Ishwa

    James P. Wagner (Ishwa) is the founder and publisher for Local Gems Poetry Press. He is a poet from Long Island and sits on 3 local poetry non-profit boards. He has edited several anthologies and believes in poetry's power to make a difference. 

    Archives

    September 2016
    April 2015
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Categories

    All
    Poem
    Poetry

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    James P. Wagner (Ishwa's) Latest poetry collection. 

Copyright 2010-2016 by Local Gems Poetry Press