Sturdy-stock Sisters
Dressed in dark, somber gowns,
Trimmed with Arctic-white collars,
Framing pink faces,
That flashed smiles for parents,
But for children, frowns.
They taught with taut skin,
Tissue-dispensing sleeves,
Classic wooden pointers,
& dusty black-boards
That revealed obscure Latin phrases
& exquisitely diagramed sentences.
Repetition was their weapon:
Repeat, repeat, &
Repeat again:
Two times three.
I before E, except after C.
The rain in Spain falls, mainly …
Ruler-bruised knuckles
Crystallized memories,
Thoroughly —
Prompting mushy minds
To firm up,
Like molded Jell-O.
& all these years later,
Stored in primal circuits,
Wise teachings (when needed)
Flicker back to life —
Like amber-glowing tubes,
Cackling in an ancient radio.
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