Wednesday, March 18, 2026

The Teacher - #dVerse #W3 #lighthouse #poem #poetry #poetrycommunity @YvetteMCalleiro



Hello, beautiful readers! Today, I will be combining two prompts. The first is dVerse's Poetic Tuesday - Irish Blessings. Lisa shares several Irish symbols and concepts and encourages us to use one of them in our poem. I chose to go with the phrase, "banishing the snakes". The other prompt comes from Wea've Written Weekly (W3) where Dennis invites us to write about a lighthouse. I chose to write about a metaphorical lighthouse of a teacher (since I am one).

(image courtesy of @RibhavAgrawal on Pixabay)

The Teacher

she stands tall
joy beaming from her eyes
acceptance shining in her smile
her light
her energy
welcomes her students
to enter her happy bubble
of learning

exuding confidence
she models ways to repel the dark
banishing the snakes of doubt
from their minds
showing them how to
calm the storms that live within
through meditation and 
positive affirmations

she guides them slowly
through murky ideas
until their own light shines 
bright enough to be their own
safe harbors


Would you like to write a poem for either of these prompts? Click the links below:


44 comments:

  1. Yvette, your students are blessed to have you for a teacher. I love the idea of this:
    "welcomes her students
    to enter her happy bubble
    of learning"
    and you you teach them:
    "to be their own
    safe harbors" <3

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    1. Thank you, Lisa! I appreciate your kind words. I love being their teacher. :-)

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  2. I enjoyed this perspective, I have a buddy who is middle school Social Studies teacher in Texas and let's just say he does not abide to your paradigm. But I agree with you, teachers should be light houses and I loved that comparison!

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    1. I'm sorry to hear that. I teach language arts and intensive reading in middle school and absolutely love what I do. Thanks for stopping by, Cara! :-)

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  3. Bless all the teachers for they shape the minds of our future citizens .... your poetry is lovely.

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    1. Thank you, Helen! I appreciate your visit (and blessings). :-)

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  4. "banishing the snakes of doubt from their minds" is a fantastic metaphor for a good teacher. I hope that is something that I offer to my students too. Excellent write Yvette 👏

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    1. Thank you, Shaun! I'm sure your students receive that from you as well. I teach struggling readers, so I spend a lot of time teaching them mindfulness and destressing strategies while also building their confidence and teaching them how to turn off the negative voice in their head. I appreciate you visiting.

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  5. A lovely poem, Yvette! Wonderful that you are a great teacher!

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  6. Teachers are really a beacon of hope in this dark world. I would like to see us really put some effort into giving them the tools they need to bring forth generations of well equipped young adults.

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    1. That would be wonderful, Violet! Unfortunately, in my state, the government demonizes us and continues to take money away from us. :'( I appreciate your visit. :-)

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  7. "exuding confidence
    she models ways to repel the dark" --I like that. A wise way to role model, Yvette. I like your closing lines, too. It's so great when kids mature and learn how to self-soothe <3

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  8. Teaching is a special gift. Good teachers are jewels and sadly are not always appreciated. Enjoyed your poem.

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  9. A wonderful combination of prompts. Teachers truly have the ability to be beacon of lights for those finding their way.

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  10. Yvette, thanks for your patience. I've a lot of poems to read in response to the prompt, plus I've my own affairs to manage.

    You’ve made the guiding role very clear in your poem, especially in how the teacher guides the students toward their own sense of confidence and understanding. The way you connect that to the lighthouse idea comes through.

    I'd suggest building on this further by focusing on a specific moment so we see that guidance happening in practice. What happens if you focus on one student, one difficulty at a key point in the poem? That would give the poem more texture, draw the reader in and help it move beyond general statements.

    Thanks for engaging with the prompt.

    Dennis

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    1. Thanks for the suggestions, Dennis! I appreciate your insight. :-)

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  11. How lucky your students are Yvette 🩷

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  12. Lovely poem, Yvette. I have a great respect for teachers.

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  13. I bow to all teachers. Especially a personality like the one the image portrays. Teachers are amazing creatures. Thanks for the lovely poem, Yvette.

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    1. Thank you, Selma! I appreciate you stopping by. :-)

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  14. We teachers are so many things to our students. I hope I have been one to help them find their light, and perhaps banish some snakes of doubt. Nice write.

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    1. Thank you, Sara! I love what I do and the kids I teach. :-)

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  16. Lovely response and poem Yvette, to bring out an ability to trust in their own light and to follow is wonderful, I had a few teachers like this ...💞

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    1. Then, you were truly blessed! Thanks for visiting, Suzanne! :-)

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  17. This is beautifully penned, Yvette. Robbie 😍

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  18. Bravo Yvette! I love the teacher as lighthouse!! - murisopsis

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  19. Yvette, I really like “snakes of doubt.” It makes me see how scary thoughts can feel. The ending about “safe harbors” feels warm and safe to me.

    Much love,
    David
    SkepticsKaddish.com

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    1. Thank you, David! My students are burdened with insecurities, especially with so many years of state tests telling them that they aren't good enough. It's really sad. I appreciate you visiting. :-)

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  20. Teachers are truly lighthouses! Since I was one, your beautiful poem resonates deeply with me, Yvette. ❤️

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    1. Thank you, Punam! I'm happy you connected with my poem. I appreciate your visit! :-)

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  21. hi, Yvette❣️

    Just wanna let you know that this week's W3, hosted by our beloved Lesley, will be live until Monday, March 30:

    W3

    Much love,
    David
    SkepticsKaddish.com

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    1. Thanks, David! I hope to write a poem for it tomorrow. :-)

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I love comments, so please share your thoughts with me! :-)