Nothing New Under The Sun, A Tanka Prose Poem by Chen-ou Liu

Sunlight slants in through the study window, reaching the front page of today's newspaper on my coffee-staineddesk.The headline story details the latest Auditor General's report. His report states that the socio-economicgap onreserves hasn't improved in the last two decades, and the gap in high-school graduation rates has actuallywidened.According to the reporter, things got a little nasty Monday afternoon at the Indigenous Affairs meeting asMPs grilled civil servants over the gap. One MP even warned, "heads need to roll if bureaucrats don't shape up onFirst Nations education." His warning becomes today's eye-catching headline.

sixth graders
in the windowless classroom
on the reserve
a new teacher talks about
thinking outside the box