Public School
By Anselm Brocki

Though I never said so,
in eleven years of teaching
I was not fooled by the titles
Social Studies 8, English 10AB,
or American Literature 11
because of knowing,
as some of the students did,
in their eyes and beautiful mouths,
that those subjects were merely
more acceptable names for Love,
Friendship, Insight, and Honor K-12,
which are almost impossible
to teach well or grade fairly.