Anger’s Difference                                 


He was a bright young man
With a future based on intelligence
But, common sense
Hid behind the brave pretense
Allowing anger to make a difference
She was his teacher
and carried the responsibility
He was the student
and had to face accountability
Becoming angry 
would cause only hurt
creating apathy
leading to loss educationally
but, it cannot be denied
that,
Neither person tried
to stop long enough
to get their emotions in check
and think about respect
for themselves or each other
Instead, each replied angrily
Acting tough
As if one would expect
the other to back down gracefully
from the words each had said
A true impossibility
Since, the whole class was around
In his head, stood his friends
In hers, the students who would look down
on her authority and lose respect
so they just got angrier instead 
this time no one was joking
saying the words best left unspoken
later; words they might wish 
they had never said
another friendship lost
emotions have their cost
Later it will be realized
while feeling a little dead inside
that when things get intense
anger does make a difference....

© Rodney C. Walmer   9/30/95