Analysis of The Teacher

She arose before the sun peeked above
The lake.  She rustled her son off to school.
Sitting in her frigid car, she placed gloved
Hands on the wheel.  Had she been a damn fool
To continue teaching?  She could think of
A million reasons to quit. Dedication cooled
After each contract dispute.  Getting paid
Fairly was all she ever asked.  What weighed

On her mind were the unpaid bills that piled
Up on her kitchen table.  Tax payers
Think teachers have it easy.  Parents reviled
Teachers for being elite purveyors
Of woke ideas that would ruin their child.
She bristled at such an unfair portrayal.
Yet she soldiered on because the broad smiles
On children’s faces made it all worthwhile.

She entered her classroom, bright with pictures
Made for the Christmas season. Great joy swept
Through her body.  Students were an elixir
That cured her weary soul.  Their faces kept
Her from abandoning them.  She was richer
In spirit if not in coin.  She could affect
Young lives with her pure passion for learning.
She realized what she did was life affirming.