a guilty headache
writing, yoga abandoned
for Spanish test prayers

four-forty a.m.:
swallow last night’s leftovers
extend my commute

four ibuprofens
dawn on a two-mile walk:
sunrise on my school

early arrival
i make lesson plans and grade
till they shuffle in

solid essay work
they have surprised me again
with how i love them

early return home
to intense yoga practice
this happy hour

headache free, i’ll sleep
ready for a new sunrise
guiltless with these words