The Teacher

There was a teacher in the bunch,

She had not much time to eat lunch.

About 45, she had colored her hair,

And all of her students were aware.

She had taught more than half of her life	5

At one time she had been someone’s wife.

Now divorced, she lived for her teen-aged

Son,

Who said that teaching looked fun.

So he went off to school

And tried to look cool	10

But found that the teaching was tough.

Back into mom’s basement he went,

For he always was short on the rent.

And as she graded papers

She would ask herself: where is the

Money I’ve spent?	15

Often, she tried to dress nice,

And her stare was cold as ice.

But she threw down her book

And thought she might look

For some kind of new career.	20

Yet she would have to wait

Because she was now ready to date.

And her man would not like a taker

Who did not give something back.

So back to the classroom she went with	25

Her books and papers.

She had learned that the kids had not

Changed, but that she had—a little—

But it got harder to come back year

After year.	30

For now she had no choice, and she

Was ok with that.