To My Class
You were a beautiful garden,
And I was the gardener.
I nourished your beauty and helped you grow.
I valued you even when others thought you were wild weeds.
I trimmed you back when you got a little out of control
so that you can grow to be
tall and
straight
and proud
and confident
and true.
My garden is beautiful.
Every plant is different
and lovely in its uniqueness.
If I had more time,
I could straighten the rows,
add more nourishment of knowledge,
help the sharp-edged hearts to soften into the beauty of kindness,
encourage the small and quiet ones to shine with brightness.
Someone else will be your gardener now and forever more.
I can only hope my year of nourishment and valuing
will remain with you as you
grow well,
remember all you’ve learned
(in your heart and your mind), and
stand
tall and
straight
and proud
and confident
and true.
Ms. Hahn
4th Grade
2009-2010
Happy last day of school, Ms. Hahn!
ReplyDeleteIs it your tradition to write a poem for each graduating class? I hope they treasure this.
And that you enjoy summer, Mary Lee!
Your poem makes me think of Mrs. Spitzer's Garden which I always read aloud on the last day of school.
ReplyDeleteHappy Last Day! Enjoy your summer!
I love that cartoon! Christine
ReplyDeleteWonderful!
ReplyDeleteYay! Happy Last Day of School! Love the poem. Since none of my teachers ever wrote a poem for us, I'll pretend I'm in fourth grade today. :)
ReplyDeleteDear Mary Lee,
ReplyDelete"Someone else will be your gardener now and forever more."
This poem is beautiful; you will always be a gardener they turn to in their hearts and minds.
Happy summer!
Warmly,
Amy
I love this. Happy summer. We get out on June 15. Writing poetry this summer?
ReplyDeleteCongrats you made it through another school year! Yahoo! What a wonderful way to celebrate. . . by writing a poem.
ReplyDeleteLaura Evans
Happy Summer Friends!!! You deserve it!!
ReplyDeleteI love your poem! We have another week to go, and then I signed up to write curriculm for 3 weeks, so summwer won't start for a while for me. So this lady won't be singing until July 1!
ReplyDeleteLove the poem, ML, especially the repeating verse. What a goal for all teachers!!!!
ReplyDeleteSee you in an hour or so! Happy 48 hour challenge weekend!
Happy End of the Year! My sister (3rd-grade teacher) will be singing soon.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful, inspiring poem. Thank you for sharing it! I love its bittersweetness--totally captures the way I always felt (as a student and then, for a couple of years, as a teacher) at that end of the year.