Welcome to the Spot Writers. This month’s prompt is to write something about Christmas. Today’s tale comes to us from a frazzled teacher not of chemistry, who is a day late posting this due to all the holly, jolly merriment happening at school. If you know a teacher, treat them kindly this week! 

 

The Week Before Christmas for Mrs. Smith, a Frazzled Chemistry Teacher

By Val Muller

 

In the week before Christmas,

The teachers were frazzled: 

The students were restless, 

Expecting to be dazzled

By fun holiday lessons

And fun holiday snacks,

Not pestered by essays

And quizzes and facts.

 

But Mrs. Smith taught chem,

And they had an exam

That would take the whole class–

That was her plan.

Holly and jolly

Were not quite her drift,

And all that sugary spirit

Left her a bit miffed.

 

Holiday dress-up days

Demanding her brain–

Hopes of organization 

Flushed down the drain

With last-minute gifts

For her own kids’ teachers,

Then dashing to pep rallies

To monitor the bleachers.

 

They made it through Monday,

And all that entailed,

Made it to Tuesday,

And then even sailed

To Wednesday, bemused,

But their red and green used

By Thursday, when the hue

Turned to holiday blues. 

 

By Friday the piles of laundry were tall,

The whole family went through red, green, and all

Of the Santa hats, reindeer socks, jingles bells, too–

And what could this poor frazzled teacher do?

 

It was PJ day, but what could she wear?

She looked in the mirror and said,
“Frankly, I don’t care!”

Her Grinch shirt was stained 

With some sauce from her toddler–

Her green pants were missing, 

So why even bother? 

 

As she looked out the window 

And saw it was pouring,

The toddler was angry, 

The boy was still snoring.

How would she make it this morning, 

She wondered,

Without losing her temper 

Or causing a blunder?

 

At first she put on

A pair of black Christmas PJs,

But she just couldn’t see wearing them 

Throughout the entire day. 

So she went back upstairs, 

Put a finger on her nose,

And said, “not today, Satan, because, I suppose–

Today is the day I’ll wear just what I want,”

And just like the Grinch in reverse,

Her heart shrunk. 

 

She put away red socks, her green socks, her hats–

She brought out the blue jeans and a black hoodie and laughed. 

There was the happiness that had been missing all week,

The true Christmas spirit when things had looked bleak.

 

As she pulled her comfy dark hoodie around tight,

She said, “Happy break to all! My break starts tonight!”

Then she headed to school with a mischievous grin

And couldn’t wait for her chemistry test to begin. 

 

The Spot Writers–Our Members: 

The Spot Writers–Our Members:

Val Muller: http://www.valmuller.com/blog/ 

Catherine A. MacKenzie: https://writingwicket.wordpress.com/wicker-chitter/ 

Phil Yeats: https://alankemisterauthor.wordpress.com 

Chiara De Giorgi: https://chiaradegiorgi.blogspot.ca/