English Speakers of Other Languages
It’s school day, powdery red flowers
sprinkle as blackbirds cavort
in the feifoa trees outside
my kitchen window.
South Auckland white vans reverse
out of their driveways on a
still sunny morning. The wild
October winds have retreated
and fireworks will spit
on November the fifth.
In the Rainbow Reading Room
(1/2 of the lunchroom in Block F)
files are being sorted. Students arrive -
some eager to learn, some tired from
a part time job or a behaviour problem
that’s doing them no favours
and some have to learn English,
though Polynesia surrounds them.
The tapes and CD’s spread the same words
as the books and reading commences,
writing is pushed and words shyly said.
And me, well the bell goes when least expected
I eat fruit at break and a sandwich at lunch, and
drink soup the days Miss Ani comes and sorts
out the kitchen dishing out wise words to students
and teacher aides alike as she bustles about.
And as an after thought, the child from next door
realigns the magnetic poetry words on my fridge –
his/grace/approach/my/messy/experiment/open/
hear/life/feel/joy/ and some words upside down,
but that’s to be expected from an ESOL child.
Now for the Recipe for Teacher Aides who need a nap after school!
Throw 3 skinned chicken thighs in an oven proof dish.
Plus 1/2 a chopped onion
1 tin of Mexican tomatoes or similar, depending on what kind of day you've had.
1 tin of chick peas
Bake in oven on 180 for 1 and 1/2 hours and serve with broccoli. Enjoy.
