Tears of a Teacher

I pray for you my little friend

With your short stubby hands

And squinty-eyed smile

I pray for you

You underestimated Einstein

If only I knew what you were thinking

 

I pray for you

My beautiful tight-lipped friend

With long dark hair

And eyes that spoke of the world

And all of the amazing and scary things

They had seen

I wish you had spoke of them sooner

 

I pray for you my long-legged jumping bean

With feet that thought the ground was lava

 

I pray for you my curly-cued neck squeezer

Who chased me down in the sanctuary on Sunday

How come you waited five years to talk

And when you did it was almost “Goodbye?”

 

I pray for you my val-In-tin Picaso

Thank you for always being “the best”

And for delivering my card to me at lunch

Along with a hug

 

I pray for you my Conyers buddy

Who smiled at everyone

You didn’t even know me

And I wanted to know you

Everyone else did and I was jealous

 

I pray for you my friend for a minute

Who I saw but never saw me

If only I explored the world as well

As someone without their sight

I will never forget the touch of your tiny hand

Or the way your bare feet knew the way

Through the muddy grass

 

I pray for you Peter

You became the face of the boy

In the world in the back of the wardrobe

You had his same fight

And stubborn personality

And you became my muse

I thought if I could figure you out

I was meant to be a teacher

And I am

 

I pray for you

Yes, I pray for you

Once is enough

Once is enough

I pray for you and all of the wishes

In your wish journal

The ones we had to spell out for you

The ones you wrote on your own

And the ones that never reached the page

May all of your wishes come true

 

I pray for you in the back of the room

Too cool to sit any closer

You laugh because you think it is all you can do

But I know you better

And I know you would love that book

If you only believed

You could become a great reader

 

I pray for you

Who screamed and hid under the table

From a teacher who loved you

Who probably cried at home

Because she cared for you that much

And wished she could fix

What you were really hiding from

 

I pray for you

Miss Blondie

Who looks too hard for love

Because you don’t yet love yourself

I hope someday you do

Like everybody else

 

I pray for you little one

Who would never wake up from your nap

And screamed when hauled off your mat

And sucked your thumb raw

And bit when you were mad

I had to find a way to make you smile

Cookie Monster did the trick

And swings if we never went inside

You were my favorite little monster

No one’s first words

Should be the only ones you ever said

You were too young to hear them

I hope your vocabulary soars

As high as you liked to go on the swings

 

I pray for you

With your 22 cats

And clothes that don’t fit

I hope those cats bring you friendship

When you struggle to find it

And softness when life gets too hard

And solace when you need to find peace

 

I pray for you oh shy quiet one

With a singing voice as strong as a river

And as pure as angel whispers

We will know our Savior when we come to him

By the marks where the nails have been

Thank you for the bittersweet picture

Of what is to come

Never let yourself disappear

Your beauty deserves to be heard and seen

 

I pray for you who will not be overlooked

I pray that they understand you aren’t trying to stand out

You just do

That is you

I pray that you don’t get ignored

Just because you are always noticed

I hope people see more than trouble

And don’t try to drown out your voice

May you be drawn to the opposite

That you need to find in a friend

 

I pray for you

Refreshing sunshine

Never let the world break

Your contagious soaring spirit

I promise there is more light than darkness

 

I pray for you Ms.Giggles

Who cries herself to sleep

I pray to the Lord that when you wake

Your safety he did keep

I pray that you remember

His hand is stronger

Than any hand that ever comes near you

 

I pray for you dear girl

Who only prays for everyone else

I wish I knew what prayers to say for you

 

I pray for you child

Whose body does not show her strength

Who couldn’t climb up the steep steps alone

But tried as hard a she could

Carrying you up the mountain comes to mind sometimes

When I feel I need carrying

 

I pray for you Ms. Smart Pants

With braces buckled around them

Who will make for a very insistent

Parent or teacher one day

I am glad your parents didn’t believe

When the doctors kept saying you wouldn’t

You can crawl; you can talk;

And Babygirl, you’re starting to walk

May as well learn to run while you are at it

And challenge those doctors to a race

 

I can’t wait to see you all

When all of our worries are gone

…And hear you

…And hug you

…And cry happy tears

To replace all the ones I cried for you before.