The Amateur – 10th September 2026

~ shaun tenzenmen

In a perpetual state of curiosity,
I am the lover—the amator,
consumed by the pursuit,
never arriving as the station’s master.

Reshaped by the objects of affection—
endlessly revealing itself
with fresh eyes.

To be possessed by a god.

I am the midwife of ideas,
so come sit with me
and be courted every day.

Shared with dVerse: Poetics Tuesday – teachers

Information from DeepSeek that helped form this poem:
1. Amateur: From the Latin amator (lover). Originally, an amateur wasn’t a beginner; it was someone who did something for the love of it, rather than for mastery. A teacher who is still learning while teaching is an amateur in the truest sense, driven by a love of the subject and of the students.
2. A master has already arrived at their destination; they know the material, they deliver it, they clock out.
3.  In Roman love poetry, the amator is constantly changed, humbled, and reshaped by the object of their affection. The subject endlessly reveals itself, and the student’s fresh eyes make the teacher see the subject anew.
4. Enthusiasm comes from the Greek enthousiasmos, which means”to be possessed by a god”.
5. ‘I am the midwife of ideas’ is from Socrates.

Today’s Daily Stoic poem:

Preparing On A Sunny Day

As soldiers practice in peacetime
In happy days build your defences
Without a comparison to define
All your previous indulgences

19 thoughts on “The Amateur – 10th September 2026”

  1. This is such a thoughtful piece, Shaun 📚✨ The idea of a teacher as an eternal “amateur” still in love with the subject, still being reshaped by it feels so much truer than the idea of a “master” who’s already arrived. Love how the etymology research deepened the whole poem.

    — Khadija 🤍

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    1. Thanks Khadija 🙏 The research was born from my search of a word that described a teacher who is still a student. This was another interesting piece of information (that I didn’t pursue in this case):

      The Closest Single English Word: Docility
      This might surprise you, because we usually use “docile” to mean “obedient.” But the root comes from the Latin docere (to teach) and docilis (easily taught). Historically, docility meant the receptivity to being taught. When a teacher is truly teaching, they must be in a state of docility—open and receptive to the unexpected feedback, questions, and humanity of their students, which teaches them constantly.

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      1. That’s a fascinating find “docility” carrying that root meaning of receptivity rather than obedience completely flips how I’d have read the word. There’s something almost paradoxical about a good teacher needing to stay teachable themselves in order to actually teach well. Thanks for sharing that extra layer, definitely adds to the piece.

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  4. “midwife of ideas”…love it, Shaun! There are many of us who are former teachers, I think you are the only one who is teaching presently. I was especially looking forward to your poem and you didn’t disappoint. 😊

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    1. Thanks Punam 🙏 I had wondering what to write for this prompt and it just so happened to be my grade 11 class that morning where we discussed education in Thailand that led me back to my persistent idea that I am just as a much as a student as my students are.

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