My Professor

She is my professor for
Whom I grade papers
As a Junior at UT in
Austin living in the
Married student
Housing with 3 kids
And my wife Lindy.
My professor looks over
At me as we grade exams,
She is a formidable
Lady and I admire her
Grit in an academia
Mostly of hostile men.
We get along well,
I was her student in
History and now her
Grader or administrative
Assistant and friend.
It is Christmas Eve day
In late afternoon and we
Are sitting in her office
Grading essays from a
Delayed final exam,
Final grades are due by
Five o’clock and we have
Hundreds of essays to read
And final grades to tally.
Christmas music wafts
Down the hallway from
Staff and faculty who
Are trying to leave and go
Home to family and friends.
We work steadily, me passing
Graded exams to her as she
Tabulates final grades,
I am an early 20’s student
She is in her 60’s and an
Attractive woman who
Likes to wear skirt suits
That show off her form.
We have noticed each other
From the first but are still
Professional in our conduct,
I ask the meaning of the French
Word "nerd” spoken by the
Last survivors of the Old Imperial Guard at Waterloo as it is
In an essay I am grading.
She turns her face to me
And says, “shit”,
I hope I have not caught
Her at a bad moment but
She is smiling at my
Confusion reassuring me
That it is a soldier’s refusal
To surrender to the English.
We both laugh and as we
Work past five we give each
Other an occasional smile
And are done and each
Headed for our own home
By half-past six that night,
A delayed deadline is OK.
A good lesson in the
Humanity of teaching
And an honorable
Friendship that
Lasted many
Years.