by Valentina Cano

The teacher crosses the room.
She’s fueled by other children,
faces sticky with cardboard pizza
and fifty-cent ice cream.
Past them, she can see
her own fingers on the chalkboard.
Oil deepens the green to black.
And the girl,
the one with a foot in another land,
requires attention.

Valentina Cano is a student of classical singing who spends whatever free time she has either reading or writing. Her works have appeared in numerous publications, and her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Web. Her debut novel, The Rose Master, will be published in 2014.