Time and the Teacher

This is the first post from my travels in Europe.  I did not have time or consistent Internet access to post things then, but I did write a few that I will post the next several days.

                                                     Time and the Teacher

                                         He mostly measured his days in periods
                                         or question marks and seldom in exclamation
                                         points. 8:10 and classes commenced,
                                         11:40 lunch, 2:20 sports-
                                         all with the regularity of bells
                                         that would make Pavlov proud.

                                         Then his sabbatical came along
                                         with travel through eight time zones.
                                         His watch band broke in London,
                                         so he carries time in his pocket
                                         where he can’t see it and stops
                                         calculating when he should be tired.

                                         For a while, he rises with the sun,
                                         first in England, then Denmark,
                                         but here in Saint Petersburg, the early
                                         summer sun never sets at all. Now he
                                         sleeps without darkness and awakes only
                                         when he wants to write a poem.