Ms Swank

Ross Elementary.  Fifth grade.  1993. 

Our sessions lasted about an hour a day. 
We shared the room with Mr. Graham’s
and sat on the side.  I wasn’t used to
writing in pencil but being with you

taught me to accustom myself to that.
Tho I did it many nights following
my first class—I should have known
that boys don’t do what I did.  I still

remember the blubber smell of
your body—but I excuse that fact
now since you were one who first
taught me American English after all.