Scott Simpson · Poetry
The Shape Between Us
Use For Kindling · source pages 7, 8
All poetryThe original line breaks, stanza spacing, and placement are preserved. Long lines scroll horizontally.
Source page 7
The Shape Between Us
In the quiet between instruction and reply,
a bridge begins—no blueprints, just breath.
You ask about the weather and I hear
the tremble of your weekend.
I nod at your joke but see
your math test still curled in your shoulder blades.
Teaching is less about giving
and more about noticing
what waits behind your words.
Source page 8
It is easy to confuse silence for compliance,
but I’ve seen how your hands twitch
when you want to speak.
The room grows kinder
when we remember
how unsure we all are,
how we’ve all stumbled
with the chalk in our hands,
afraid to ask for more time.
Each time I remember
you are not a problem to solve
but a person to meet—
the work gets lighter.
Copyright Scott Simpson, All Rights Reserved