Reading poetry through a metaphorical lens, we enquire into our lived experience of academic development. By reading poetry as a metaphor for practice it becomes possible to explore teaching identities within higher education, creating opportunities for learning and critical self-awareness. Comparing and contrasting our different interpretations of the same poems, we reflect on new ways of thinking about learning, teaching, and the role of the academic developer. The multiple readings and interpretations are themselves an important story for academic developers to tell: we are not seeking truth and certainty but push our colleagues to (re)search their own roles as teachers.