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Thursday, January 12, 2012

Penguin-Perfect


A poem for dear Ms. Perrault who left us a week or two ago. May she rest in peace, awaiting the Lord's soon coming.

I remember you, teacher
The third one I ever had
My second grade instructor
And now I’m a grad
But those days under your teaching
Created memories in that room
The pictures were penguin-perfect
And the M&M’s were nice too
Something about the Jumble’s
Must have sparked an intrigue for words
Unraveling the mixed-up letters
To make sounds I’d never heard
On this day I’ll recall
Those past times, foggy memories,
Of little magnetic play-things
And action-packed adventure stories
For years after I moved on
We only talked in passing
Each time, a greater distance between
But we always could find ourselves laughing
I thank God I came into the ABC
A few days before your last breath
I let you know you made a difference to me
And that’s something you can’t lose, even to death
So I’ll wear black and white
Like your favorite bird, remembering you
How the pictures were penguin-perfect
And the M&M’s were nice too

3 comments:

  1. Awww, Josh. That was beautiful. I saw you at the service and noticed how nice you looked and now I know the details! Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Some may have seen those penguins as excessive, even foolish, but they were really a smart item because they made her "cherubs" remember her classroom, and hopefully also the things they learned there. One might see the penguins as a symbol of good and evil, black and white. But most important they were something to remember her by, and it looks like it worked after reading your poem--a very beautiful memorial to her, by the way!

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