Remembrance
I remember my teacher.
She was hired by the Board,
Paid for by the levy,
And licensed by the state.
She existed in the very womb of democracy.
Midwife to a generation
Whose gestation lasted
Nine months.
She was a controller;
Of stiff necks
And straight backs
And eyes glazed over.
She had a particular expertise:
She crushed dreams
And broke spirits
For four thousand dollars a month.
