It is the last day of my Spring Break
and
I
Am
Still
So
Tired
Pandemic teaching has
wrung
me
out.
If you relate to to the above sentiments, I recommend you read this teacher’s powerful blog post The Cracks Are Beginning to Show
Still Tired
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” William Wordsworth
Wordsmithing 
Hope you have a good weekend!
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It’s been a year. Your succinct post says a lot with a little. My spring break is 7 days away…any advice?
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My advice is to listen to your body, and put aside the to-do lists. If you get something done, that is a bonus. Our bodies tell us the burden we have been bearing once we stop.
Enjoy your time off!
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It is good to express your feeling. Take care and all the best.
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And yet still a phenomenal writer (smile).
I appreciate the visual and audio aesthetics of this post – the way it compels me to follow the rhythm the writer designed – by sight and sound. I am also appreciative of the italics that bid me to emphasize the chronic fatigue. I love the word choice of “wrung” that depicts a most strenuously induced angst by way of the unforgiving pandemic.
The large white spaces between lines convey an emptiness inside – perhaps experienced in the vacuum from one mandatory task to another, and though my heart is happy that the writer has had a spring break, I empathize that it is still interspersed with a void that cannot be resolved in a mere seven days.
Thank you for the simplicity of this piece. It is among my favorite (in my mind, unique) genres (of its own) – poignantly written pain. You have beautifully crafted the disquietude that I hope we will all be able to resolve sooner than later.
My prayers and admiration are with you. How wonderfully done.
Sincerely,
~Carla Michelle
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Oh my goodness, Carla, I am in awe of the time and consideration you spent writing your comments. I truly feel seen and understood.
Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated 🙏🏼
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I think the writing is quite worth it. I try to put myself in the author’s shoes. I treasure words so much, and it’s so significant to me to receive thoughtful feedback on my writing – I believe it’s among the most meaningful elements I can share with my fellow writers.
It also compels me to strengthen my analysis of literary work – spanning my own and others’. I learn from what we (each) do as both writer and reader…and reading this post was a joy.
Thank you for sharing your gift. I genuinely appreciate it.
~Carla Michelle
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Oh no! I hope you rest over the weekend. But yes, it’s too much on the computer all day!
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Pandemic teaching is so very hard and exhausting. I hope your weekend brings rest before returning to school. Only a three day week here next week, I find myself counting the days until the next break. Our week long spring break was dispersed throughout the spring to prevent people from traveling.
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Hang in there! Three more months to go.
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Today is my last day before break. I couldn’t pull myself out of the bed. Family is visiting until Tuesday, and then I will collapse. Getting back in person has been awesome for the kids, but it’s hard to keep them apart from each other. I’m tired from the rest of the work I’ve done this year online, but getting back to what I know well is reassuring. In 3 months it will all be over.
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Yes, it is so hard to keep them apart. It is like herding puppies and kittens!
Yes, three more months to go, and this time of year tends to fly by.
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I like the way you’ve dragged out the sentence, with one word on each line, except for the ones emphasizing spring break and pandemic teaching. It emphasizes the fatigue in a simple and clear way. Of course, I hope that you regain your energy soon!
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Thanks so much. It has been a treat to have time off and take things at my pace.
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I feel your exhaustion in the structure of your poem.
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The structure of stretching out your words clearly expresses how stretched you feel after pandemic teaching. I am ready for this experience to be far behind all of us! Get some rest and know that you’re not alone.
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Thank you for your insight!
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I liked the way the poem is written to be long. Sort of like pandemic teaching – long and drawn out.
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Ohh, I like the parallel. Thanks for for keen observation.
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Hang in there…hopefully, as you get back into a routine you’ll realize you have more energy than you thought!
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I actually saw a post on social media with a meme showing how that person used up today, tomorrow’s and the following day’s tired. It’s never-ending this year. Hang in there. I hope you can find plenty of resting time over Spring Break.
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I think I need to search for that meme. Sounds perfect!
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Ugh! I meant to say I hope you find plenty of resting time this weekend, despite not getting that rested feeling through your Spring Break. (I’m just starting my Spring Break and I feel incapable of functioning right now, as you can see.)
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That’s how I’m feeling with four more days of teaching, but I’m teaching in person. I feel for all of you still pouring your souls out to your students online.
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Yes! Pandemic teaching has been so exhausting, and we are gearing up to start hybrid in April. The structure of your poem so aptly captures the exhaustion!
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