bus | todd anderson

seven

'you just like the stars, shining bright even at the darkness'

"gentlemen, open your text to page 21 of introduction. mr. perry, will you read the opening paragraph of the preface entitled understanding poetry"

it was another day, todd was sitting on his permanent seat. first row, first chair at the left side.

he open his book what mr. keating instructed to them.

"understanding poetry by dr. j evans pritchard phd," neil starts to read as the others quietly listened as well as mr. keating who was sitting on the front table.

"to fully understand poetry we must first be fluent with its meter, rhyme, and figures of speech then ask two questions. one, how artfully has the objective of the poem been rendered. and two, how important is that objective question. one rates the poem's perfection question two rates its importance and once these questions have been answered determing the poem's greatness becomes a relatively simple matter."

neil reads. everyone was focused on mr. keatings intruction at the board, while the others tries to draw to their book like what cameron does.

"as you proceed through the poetry in this book, practice this rating method as your ability to evaluate poems in this manner grows so will— so will your enjoyment and understanding of poetry." as neil ended the understanding, he removed his glasses on as he puts it in the side of his table.

as mr. keating's instruction's done, he spoke.

"excrement." he says, turning the students head to his existence.

"that's what i think mr. j evans pritchard, we're not laying pipe we're talking about poetry."

cameron erased his drawings by doodling some lines on it.

"how could you describe poetry like american bandstand, i like byron i give a 42 but i can't dance to it" mr. keating added.

"now, i want you to rip out that page." mr. keating commanded as the students turn their heads on him , giving that confuse shock face.

"rip out the entire page" none of them move nor do it. "you here me? rip it out"

"RIP IT OUT" mr. keating shouted.

a shredded sound of a paper heard as they all looked behind them, seeing charlie ripped that page in his book.

"thank you mr. dalton" mr. keating thanked.

"gentleman tell you what don't just tear out that page tear out the entire introduction" mr. keating said with a smile on his face. what a sarcastic teacher.

"i want it gone history leave nothing of it"

they all ripped it as what mr. keating command them. cameron, who's the only person who hesitated to tear that entire introduction, looked at neil who's ripping the entire page as mr. callister came in their classroom.

"what the hell is going on out here?!" mr. callister shouted.

he then saw mr. keating, holding a trash bin, as a serve of the tear pages to be throw.

"i'm sorry i- i didn't know you were here"

"i am" said with a gesturing hand.

"ah, so you are, excuse me," mr. callister said, feeling the embarrassment on him as mr. keating continued to command the others to rip the entire introduction.

as they all threw the pages they tear from the trash bin, the book of theirs has no more introduction.

"no matter what tells you words and ideas can change the world, i see that look at mr pitt's eye like 19th century literature has nothing to do with going to business school or medical school right?"

"maybe mr. hopkins you may agree on them thinking, 'yes we should simply study our mr. pritchard and learn our rhyme and meter and go quietly about the business or achieving other ambitions'" mr. keating teached.

"i have a little secret for you all, huddle up!" mr. keating squat himself as the students huddled around him.

todd was behind the students, he make a closer to mr. keating.

"we don't read and write poetry because it's cute. we read and write poetry because we are the members of the human race, and the human race is filled with passion."

"and medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life, but poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for,"

•••