Yet Another Student Giving Me Flowers

Recently, a student gave me flowers because he had acted up in class on the previous day, please see the following posts:
* Got Clowned Yesterday
* But I Brought You Flowers

This is the second time that a student has given me flowers after having acted crazy with me.

The first time was much worse than this most recent time. The boy (a 3rd grader who wasn't even in my class) threw a fit. I was at the school by myself.

Here's a poem I wrote after I got the flower.

Yellow Weed
Yellow weed growing in the midst of the grass.
Unwanted, unloved, often thrown aside.
Only wanting to live your life as best you know how.
But how can you do so, when no one gives you a chance?
Emotions growing inside you, no one will listen.
Mowed down, pulled out.
Why don't they give you a chance?
You deserve life just like everything else.
But still, you're treated as a nuisance,
A nuisance, unloved, unkept.
I've always wanted to make a difference,
So, here's my chance, I guess.
Yellow weed, my treasure,
You are wanted, you are kept.

Inspiration Behind Yellow Weed
The poem Yellow Weed was inspired by one of the students in the school that I taught at in 2002. The previous day, he had acted a straight fool with me. I mean he acted crazy. I was very frustrated with him.

The next day, the kids were outside playing. He walked over to me with his hands behind his back. He smiled at me and apologized. He handed me this yellow weed. I smiled and hugged him. He went back on his way.

I looked at the weed and was about to throw it away, but then inspiration hit. I was about to throw away a heartfelt gift of apology from one of my students. I went into the classroom and taped the flower to a page in my journal. Later on during the day, I wrote the poem, Yellow Weed.