Dear director,

Due to foreseen circumstances

I won’t be attending your program in the new year

I opted for something better

My gremlins plant doubts

But I figure I’d better take my chances

So I decided to quit, to get out

Before I start

There was a sense of impending doom

After a few conversations

I realized there’s a better way to spend my afternoons

Than inside the sterile buildings, sitting, with my eyes in books about theory

The thought of it makes me weary

But my husband reminded me of the other side

Where I already am and where we can still go

The beach, the bridge, the capital, an island

March Madness

Work’s real-life experiences

The thought of it gets me smiling

Time to read fiction

And to watch the thunderstorms roll in

Time to work out for fun and to stay thin

Train rides, chocolate cream pie

Hiking with our pup

I feel the pressure letting up

Let’s do it all before we die

Make the most of our time

Basketball games are on the schedule

Higher education is a tool

Already in my bag

There’s an Agatha Cristie novel I have

I have plans to read it

And the Bible

No other text to rival

My seat at the school has been superseded

So herein is my resignation

I’m headed for another destination

My cozy home, my office, Dominican Republic, Cleveland for the Final Four

And oh yes, to race in D.C.

I doubt you’ll think twice about me

There’s nothing I want more