I was six years old - So full of expectation
The day had come - It felt like a celebration
I walked into a room filled with clean little faces
Few of them well-known from different places

In came the teacher - An impressive man
My heart jumped in my chest - Then it began
He learned our names by lightening speed
He taught us to write - He taught us to read

I remember his smell - I remember his clothes
I had a little girl's crush on this teacher - I suppose
I looked into his face - I felt that he cared
He knew me better than any - As he knew I was scared

When things got too hard and painful at home
I was offered a place where I safely could roam
No questions were asked - No punishment given
By pure need alone - To this place I was driven

This place was a haven - A sanctuary if you like
I came there quite often - Brought by my bike
He gave me a job - But he gave me so much more
I loved coming there - It was never a chore

He provided a rescue - Liberty and independence for my self
A sense of belonging - As I placed books on a shelf
My earnings were books and a release from frustration
His hope and strength alone provided a foundation

Few words were spoken - We worked in a calm hush
So different from my world - Always filled with angry rush
A library full of books - A place he taught me to treasure
A different world for little me - To this day it gives me pleasure

I am so grateful that God gave me YOU for a teacher
I thought I deserved a rather mean and ugly creature
I became your most loyal and devoted student
I was cautious at first - Eager - yet watchful and prudent

A powerful impact you had on my existence
My life was changed because of your persistence
You cared for me - believed in me - When I could not do it on my own
You were more than a teacher - An angel God permitted me to loan

I wrote this for you - To show my appreciation
To this day you still have my loyalty and deep admiration
Very frequently still - You enter my mind
You are part of who I am - You are one of a kind