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Her dress was matronly
and conservative
But her bag
could have been hiding
crystal meth
She was distant
Kind of paranoid
Yet snotty
Like a dealer
Or a teacher
She dressed
like an artist
Or a painter
Someone who
traveled a lot
Her jewelry
suggested
an attachment
to the Southwest
Her jacket
reminded me
of Palm Springs
But the combination
of colors
was not in style
At least
not in the U.S.
She looked dead serious
like she was going to expode
From childhood
I had experienced
the sternness of her eyes
Her stare swept over me
Made me feel inferior
She seemed to be
looking for someone
Too calm
Too together
Too in place
La maestra
Anglo
La maestra
Fronteriza

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