Today

Today

Richard Decker

today

woke up
and showered
and prayed
and briefly
felt anxious
throughout the day
was productive
taught children
and made one smile

in the evening
swept the floor
took out the trash
and someone said
they were proud
of me

cooked dinner
reset the clock
remembered
to take my medicine
and briefly
my chest relaxed
and i was calm
and i was proud of myself
today

---

Richard A. Decker
Poet & Teacher

Richard has been published in Moral Apologetics, Larry Ferlazzo’s opinion blog Classroom Q & A for Education Week, and in the Shenandoah Valley National Writing Project’s 2021-2022 More than Words. He has also presented papers at several regional Conferences on Christianity and Literature. He completed his M.A. in English at Liberty University in 2020 and received both the Outstanding Research Award and Outstanding Thesis Award; his thesis is titled Originality, Decorum, and Fantastic Sight in Dostoevsky’s The Idiot. He currently teaches secondary English in Central Virginia. 

Photography by Erick Kaine