Waiting/Alone At The Crossroads: A poem

Photo by Mike Enerio on Unsplash

I was inspired to write this when I was about to leave a teaching position for the first time, and I wasn't sure how to express my feelings to my students. So, since I had assigned those students a poetry unit at the end of the year, I decided that whatever was good for them was good for me. As I have often said, I'm not willing to assign students something that I wouldn't be willing to do myself. This was basically my goodbye to those students.

Waiting (Alone At The Crossroads)

By Jason Liegois (2010)

Alone at the crossroads, waiting for my ride.

No point in staying any longer, I’ve got another place I have to go.

The road is empty.

I know the schedule, I know when the ride’s here, but it’s not here yet.

I’m still waiting.

All my packing is done – my bags are packed, debts paid, ticket paid – I’ve bought my ticket – but no ride.

I’m waiting alone at the crossroads.

It’s an Iowa crossroads, strictly Iowa thru and thru – the two lane, intersection, a stop sign, ta…