An interesting poem by Peter Kahn

During my sorting out of old belongings stored at my mother’s house in London, I came across this.

The True Test

I’m a teacher, not a preacher

but I will preach a little to teach a little

won’t extol the power of God, but the power of words.

I’ll attempt to amplify and magnify the God-given talent

that I suspect some of you may neglect or under-utilize

because its value has been minimized

in the movement to standardize and over-analyze

how well we perform on tests.

–

I intend to underscore how you’re blessed

academically

beyond those test

scores

that supposedly solely

attest to the level

of your intellect

but in effect

tell you what you can’t do.

–

I’m not a preacher, but I’ll testify that

I suspect these tests

neglect to detect

creativity, “can-do-it-y”

the fluidity of your ingenuity

the things that reflect true potential

hardly inconsequential

that are immeasurable

un-testable

by standard means

You know what this means

It’s about bringing what you’ve got to the table

to enable them

to envision you

as a mover and a shaker

who will take him or her

by the heart and start

a new vision for everyone to see

unimpaired by the SAT and GCSE

You see, we’re about to utilize poetry

to show ’em what you got

is not just what they think they see.

–

Are you with me?

are you ready to unleash your abilities?

are you ready to impress?

like the Rock’s biceps?

like Janet Jackson’s dance steps?

like the poetic lyrics of Mos Def?

and the Haitian syncopations of Wyclef?

–

Are you willing to try your absolute best?

Now that’s the TRUE test.