For What It's Worth

My English teacher at ASU
Was addicted to television.
She made us write poetry
About our dark side.
(Mine was coal black
As the darkest night
In the deepest woods.)

She had us use words like
Fibrillate and palpable.

I didn't always agree with her
But she brought out the best in me.

Sometimes we smoked
Together during break.

She wasn't that interesting
Or good looking

But I read one of her poems
And it was quite good.

I fell in love with two girls in her class
And they thought I was a pretty good writer

But they wouldn't go out with me
Or maybe I never asked them.

I haven't seen my teacher
Since the last day of the semester

But I think about her sometimes

And when I do
I am grateful
To her for not wasting
Too many of those required
Friday afternoons
When I could have
Been playing golf
With my friends.