**Encode to Decode: Poetic Narratives of a Poor Righteous Teacher** is a powerful collection of over thirty short, figuratively rich poems that chronicle the inner world of an educator navigating the complex intersections of love, purpose, and survival in a rapidly shifting 21st-century reality. Author William N. Thomas IV organizes the work into three evocative sections—*Memories of Law*, *Memories of Love*, and *Memories of Life*—each pairing key thematic words with one-word titled poems that invite readers to first *encode* the layered meanings and then *decode* their poetic truths. Through vivid language, emotional depth, and sharp literary insight, each poem is followed by a concise analysis that unpacks its symbolic and narrative significance, offering a rare fusion of artistry and intellectual reflection that speaks to educators, thinkers, and seekers alike.