What can I teach
that won’t put them to sleep?
We work on irregular verbs, conjugations,
and punctuation, until finally I make up my mind
to experiment.
First, I try hypnosis,
an entertainment I learned
at the circus.
Next comes love letters, because of course
nothing else fascinates boys my age more
than girls, and nothing pleases a young girl
more than verses, especially
when the poems
are framed
within formal
gardens of prose.
Learning grammar is easy for students
who treasure an amorous goal.