Mister Nobody

My father was a gambler
That's why I became a teacher
Every night he went to the Caffè Nero where there was always a deck of cards
The soundtrack to my childhood was my mother's crying and swearing in Greek
That's why I became a teacher
There's a look that kids get on their face
A look of concentration
That's what I teach for
It means they know that where they're going
Is better than where they've come from
That's what I teach for
The others?
The others waste my time
They treat my classroom like a Caffè Nero
They fritter it away
Their failure isn't mine
I'm a teacher
I teach only those there to be taught