Readers Poetry Excellence Series - "That Boy" by Leonie Roberts

Today's Readers Poetry series is a tribute to the importance of teachers around the world. Besides a good stable and loving family environment, nothing is more important to youngsters than a good, caring teacher - and nothing could be more damaging than a bad one. I think that after reading this poem, and visiting our poets Facebook page "A Teachers Insight" you'll agree that the world needs more teachers like Leonie Roberts.

Without further adieu:

Leonie Roberts is an English graduate from Liverpool, and is currently a preschool teacher who lives and works in Italy.

She works with wonderful staff and children who give her daily inspiration for her writing.

Last year, Leonie set up a Facebook page entitled, ‘A Teacher’s Insight’, where she posts funny stories and poetry about the joys of teaching young children. Recently, she has published her first collection of poems, which are available on Amazon and for Amazon Kindle.

Leonie is also busy working on some children’s picture book stories, which she hopes to publish in the coming years…watch this space! Coming from Liverpool, Leonie would love nothing more than to return to her home town to promote her work.

To follow Leonie’s Facebook page, please visit https://www.facebook.com/ateachersinsight. Her other work can be found on Authonomy.com, including the stories ‘The Witch Who Wanted To Walk’ and ‘Bianca and the Blue Scooter’. Please note that it is completely free to join this site to review her work and any support would be greatly appreciated.

That boy

By Leonie Roberts

When home time comes I hand him over - he doesn’t want to go
A tear rolls down my cheek because of all the things I know

At night I cannot sleep at all for thinking of that boy
I bet at home he doesn’t own a single book or toy

He comes to school not having ate and never looks his best
I find him breakfast from the kitchen and let him have a rest

He doesn’t want to learn at school, he wants only to be seen
So I try to give him my attention and teach the others in-between

I won’t ask him for his reading book, I know full well it’s lost
He needs a bigger jumper but he can’t afford the cost

Those marks he didn’t do himself, the dirt it never goes
No child should ever have to live, having that boy’s woes

I want to take him home with me to keep him safe from harm
But all I can do is make some calls to try to raise alarm

---Dedicated to all of the teachers out there who always give ‘that boy’ their best.---