Or Just After By Tammy Smith

Or Just After 

I do not know which one to prefer,
the echo of wisdom,
or the echo of ignorance.
The professor postulating,
or just after.

Words like wishes fill noisy lecture halls,
reverberate off wooden chairs,
reflect an outline of the professor
leaning into silhouettes,
or a flock of students.

O thin brains of academia,
I pity your vision.
Do you not see how the system
stomps on your slippery feet
and those around you?

Corner offices look bare under glaring lights.
The culture is shifting,
or just after,
the professors should be retiring. 

Tammy Smith, a social worker from New Jersey, draws inspiration from her work in mental health. Her writing has been published in the Dewdrop, Ailment: Chronicles of Illness Narratives, Ariel Chart, the Esthetic Apostle, Unlimited Literature, and in io Literary Journal.

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