Today my dear group of 5th grade ESL class are graduating from Elementary School. When I started working at Beechwood Elementary, they were in Kindergarten and I knew then that this group of students were going to mark my life in many ways. I was not wrong. They did. I am so thankful I had a chance in this life to be their teachers. I am so thankful for all the things they have taught me year after year. I am so thankful for our tears, our parties, our laughs, our book clubs, our picnics. I am thankful that life has been so good to me to put these amazing little people in my life. Off they go now to touch somebody's else lives. My poem is dedicated to them...
What Is To Say Good-bye?
by Stella Villalba
is it a long pause
or just a little one?
What is to say good-bye?
to be thankful that it happened
or to want some more?
What is to say good-bye?
To know that no matter what
you will have them close by.
What is to say good-bye?
Is it to fear new beginnings or
is it an invitation to embrace change?
What is to say good-bye?
to make you realize that you
are just saying, I hope I see you SOON.
I don't know what it means to say good-bye
all I know it's the deep gratitude I feel in my heart.
Poetry Friday round up is at Read Write Believe. Please stop by to check out what other bloggers have done!
3 comments:
Oh, how lovely. Makes me miss your class, and I didn't even know them. I hope they come back to visit you often. :)
Teachers are so amazing. If I were your student, I'm sure I'd be sad to say good-bye.
Those landmark classes are always the hardest to let go. I was just thinking about my very first class ever down in Dallas. They are 36 years old now. Do they remember their fourth grade teacher? Did it matter to them to have a year when they read children's literature instead of a basal, listened to Glenn Miller, memorized poetry, and went to the new Dallas Museum of Art? Does it matter to them now? It matters to me -- they made me who I am!
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