Poem: "School Teacher"

School Teacher

"Friendship's against the rules, and loving you's
impossible!"
-Marina Tsvetaeva, from Playacting, trans. Christopher Whyte

"Too much, too much school in you!
Perfect hair. Unhappy family.
Your habit when coming to the phone
of authorizing, This is she.

"You took nothing for granted, ever.
Drew in your books with a steel ruler.
You graded every night and every day
was preparation for another."

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