the words i'd use to describe
my teaching style
are the same ones you'd use
for a living room
     warm, soft
     inviting. comfortable
          familiar. and safe.

but she is a bathroom
     hard, stark, echo-y and taut
     tiles and corners and edges and cold water.
she'll knock your front teeth out with her vowels
so she is fit to run a team. and
i'm amber light and throw pillows and
red wine on tuesday nights in big glasses and
     laughing.

i'm too squishy
but the world needs more living rooms
i think.
and more hazelnut candles in h(e)aven