I taught in New South Wales public schools from 1978-2015 - it was a rewarding, exhausting, challenging, exhilarating, frustrating and demanding career. At various times in those nearly 40 years I was a classroom teacher, school executive, sports coach, librarian and principal. Every job rewarded the effort you were prepared to put into it. I was very pleased to have retired by the time Covid came around but I saw how incredibly hard my daughter and son-in-law worked during this time. Politicians, businesses and media paid lip service to teachers (and nurses, aged care workers, police and other frontline services) but very few called for better wages, increased staffing or improved working conditions for these heroic service providers. When the worst of Covid was over the NSW Teachers Federation was negotiating a new teaching award and the NSW State Government strongly opposed wage increases, staffing increases and better disability support - a 'Thank You' was considered sufficient. The NSW Teachers Federation ran a campaign called 'MoreThan Thanks' and this inspired my song. PS The picture is me singing with my class at Ben Venue PS in 1995more

She whispers to her friends and looks Back at me with smiles and hooks Of potential courtship or Maybe affaire de coeur She keeps her thoughs undisclosed Loves her inconclusive tones Always glad to drive me mad I wish she would just drop that fad And think back to those days That we once had before The rules of the game came into play I hope that she will someday Cause its getting long Times getting on And the hope I felt's Starting to melt Over the warm days that we had The warm days we once had She holds my hand and takes me to A discrete, enclosed dark room You'd think the situation's clear But once again vagueness appears In all her texts she leaves a hint With contradictions in small print I never understood her clues I wish to her I could get through And go back to those days That we once had before The rules of the game came into play I hope that we will someday Cause its getting long Times getting on And the hope I felt's Starting to melt Over the warm days that we had The warm days we once had The warm days we once hadmore

- Mastered by Mixea.commore