my children's-lit co-teacher and I didn't bother
to re-read tom sawyer we knew the book
by heart from our childhoods when we met
at the classroom door a few minutes early
we discovered the volume we'd ordered all
to read to be a comic book no time for dismay
quick witted we winged it as though we'd
planned it all along guided conversations
controversies on best ways of presenting
books molding characters compared
passages from our own copies (luckily
with us), reviewed episodes, thought
about dramatic and psychological effects
blah blah blah it turned out to be one of
our very best efforts but taught us an
unforgettable lesson no need to elaborate
2022 Jacqueline Jackson
