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Introduction & Acknowledgments

I dedicate this work to my students, past and present, at Anne Arundel Community College. Their names, nationalities, and some occupations have been changed, but their circumstances as portrayed in these narratives are real. The quotations are as exact as memory permits.

Most of the poems are composed in accentual verse, a traditional form that stresses the rhythm of language, just as I do in the classroom. It dates back to the roots of English poetry, from Beowulf to folk ballads, and endures in the verses of children’s rhymes and rap.

This collection would not have been possible without many sharp eyes and sympathetic ears. Thanks to the Broadneck Writers’ Workshop – Simon Ward, Crystal Walker, Jeanne Slawson, Hank Pugh, Jessica Paret, Patsy Helmetag, John Clark, Shaun Bevins, and Iain Baird – for their helpful critiques throughout the writing and editing process. Thanks also to my coworkers for their encouragement, and to my husband for his unflagging patience and support, technical and otherwise.