Good Bye Dream

I taught in NYC for 13 years.
For seven years,
I taught at Park West,
and a motherly woman
named Natalie Gutter
(pronounced Goo-ter)
was in my
Social Studies department.

My first year teaching
was in 1999.
Ms. Gutter was always 
kind,
encouraging,
and laughing.

When not giving me
suggestions on how to
teach a unit,
or the goofy politics
of President George W. Bush,
or the United Federation of Teachers,
she loved to talk 
about her daughter 
grand kids.

I loved when she
rolled her eyes
when the Principal
or A.P. gave us a silly 
idea or directive to 
carry out.

She retired after 
Mayor Bloomberg closed 
Park West High at
525 50th Street  (11th Ave)
and I transferred up to
George Washington Campus
in Washington Heights
where
Allen Greenspan,
Henry Kissenger,
Harry Belefonte,
and Lou Alcinder or
Karem Abdul Jabar 
graduated.

I had a dream in 
2012 (approximately)
with Ms. Gutter in it.
In my dream we had
a short discussion and
then said good-bye 
and so did I.

Funny thing
a person 
popping up in a dream
I had not thought 
of in years.

Later in the day,
I received an e-mail from
a former co-worker telling
me Natalie had passed.

In my spirit,
I already knew
it was her passing
good-bye to me.