TO MY STUDENTS
You be the leader, and I'll be the cheer,
You be the pilot; I'll let you steer.
You be the talent, and I'll be the scout,
You be applause; I'll be a shout.
I'll be the sleep, and you be the dream,
I'll be the banks; you be the stream.
I'll be the roots, and you be the pine,
I'll be the fence; you be the vine.
©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015
I've had fun with this form, introduced to us by Tabatha a couple of weeks ago.
This week, Michelle has the Poetry Friday roundup at Today's Little Ditty, and next week, Janet Wong will be the guest hostess at Sylvia Vardell's blog, Poetry For Children.
Interesting concept for a poetic form, Mary Lee! Insightful and touching.
ReplyDeleteI shared Tabatha's post with colleagues, Mary Lee. I hope they did some poetry with their students using it. Your poem is wonderful, lots of teacher love "You be applause; I'll be a shout."
ReplyDeleteThis gave me a joyous prickle of chills up my spine. What a reverent, supportive, hopeful, and loving poem for students from their teacher. I am grateful that you are my teacher too. xo
ReplyDeleteIt'sfun to see this poem in print. Thanks for sharing it last night hearing you read it was special. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful celebration of the teacher-student relationship! Lovely, Mary Lee! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI love these lines: "You be the pilot; I'll let you steer./
ReplyDeleteYou be the talent, and I'll be the scout."
Love the support shown in all these lines!
ReplyDeleteI especially like the ending
"I'll be the roots, and you be the pine,
I'll be the fence; you be the vine."
Lovely. I especially like that change mid poem. You/I to I/you.
ReplyDeleteLove love your poem!! Perfect!
ReplyDeleteThat is lovely! Happy Friday and happy teaching!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, Mary Lee! This is how I feel about being a parent, too.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love this...especially the last line.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and inspiring, Mary Lee. I especially love this couplet: "I'll be the sleep, and you be the dream,/
ReplyDeleteI'll be the banks; you be the stream." Such lucky students you have. :)
I'll be the fence; you be the vine. Brava! A vine can grow on its own, but it will really bloom with the support and exposure it gets from the fence.
ReplyDeleteMy kids are still listening to this song on our blog site. I'll share your verse with them.
ReplyDeleteLove love this one Mary Lee. Makes me wish I was a vine in your supportive classroom (or maybe my kids were....)
ReplyDeleteLovely poem. I've always loved that song, and Tabatha was right, it was a great idea for a writing prompt. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I got a sneak peak at Writing Group the other night. I love how you chose phrases for you, the teacher, to be the lesser of the two or the quieter version of the two word pairs. Isn't that our roll in this game of education - step back and let the children lead?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful poem. It definitely reminded me of my life as a student. I often tell people that teachers made my future possible. They were truly my cheer and steer and they became the fence that allowed me to grow. Thank for this.
ReplyDeleteI love this vision of the teacher's role in our students' lives. I wonder how many teachers share this vision as supporter, rather than center?
ReplyDeleteGorgeous poem, Mary Lee. True insight into your commitment to your students. =)
ReplyDeleteFun indeed. I started one of these too. Coming up with these couplets is kind of like eating potato chips. You just want to keep digging into the bag for two more!
ReplyDeleteKaboom! A winner all the way around, ML. (And add it to the list for the teacher poems collection.)
ReplyDeleteHow gorgeous, Mary Lee! I love love LOVE this. It puts your kids front and central, but always you are there with. #sogood
ReplyDeleteThis is so great! I love it. Especially "I'll be the fence; you be the vine." Perfect.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful tribute to the teacher-student relationship. Love the format-thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of this when I visit in school as a reader.
ReplyDeleteThe line that especially speaks to me is
"I'll be the fence; you be the vine."
May I have permission to copy out by hand
TO MY STUDENTS by you MaryLee (with propery copyright &f ll name) & give it to the
two classroom teachers whose students I spend time with regularly. I think it will be important to them, as it is to me.
If not, I understand, but I think this would be welcome by a forest full of teachers...
(But I'm only talking about 2.)
Absolutely, Jan! As long as it gets passed along with attribution, it can go as far and wide as its wings can carry it!
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