Teacher, “did I miss anything?”

(after reading Tom Wayman's poem)

Nothing much. When we finally noticed
your absence, we thumbed our iPhones
and BlackBerries for the rest of the class period.

Surely, you should know that our classroom is the forum
where we examine the paradigms and presumptions
of everyone else with your own.

Nothing except the fact that you are our raison d’etre.
It is through you that our collective
and authentic Self is realized.

Of course! You missed The Second Coming on the day you were gone.
It occurred in this very classroom, over there,
slouching in your seat, "blank and pitiless as the [blackboard]."

Not a thing, and who cares? We’re all going to die anyway.
After all, this class is as meaningless as any Sisyphean task.
…might as well pluck the day, "ye rosebud," while it’s still worth plucking.

Absolutely! God, herself, could not miss this class without falling behind.
I gave a surprise quiz worth 66 percent of your grade;
Then I assigned the rest of the textbook to be discussed today!

Besides, esse est percipi (being is to be perceived)!