A Goodbye Poem

Oh, my dear students, how I will miss you so
Thus I penned you this missive before I go
For there are several things that I want you to know.

Please never forget, now, the things I have taught you
Either and neither and to, too and two
And remember to always capitalize
Your proper nouns and ALL of your I’s
Remember your paragraphs and always indent
Because you want your reader to know your intent.

Remember Anne Frank, Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan
Remember Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and Dr. Ben Carson
Remember Romeo and Juliet and Ebenezer Scrooge
Remember Ben Hur, Jacques and his family, too
Remember Shakespeare with his poofy pants
And remember Bob Ross and his happy plants.

Oh, the work I gave to you noon and night
All piled high to give you a fright
The book reports, the bio reports and the dreaded research papers
All that work might have caused you the vapors
But not in my kids, you took it in stride
You did some great work and you did it with pride.

So, no matter where you go, whether near or far
Wherever you travel by train, plane or car
There’s a round Mrs. Hagan in your memories recesses
Encouraging, reassuring, always wishing your bestest
Which, of course, isn’t really a word but you know what I mean
Because we’ve learned connotation so it’s meaning you glean.

We’ve had our laughs and our cries and our prayers and our sighs
We’ve had our jokes and our cokes but it’s now time for our byes
Please keep in touch because I want to watch you all grow
Into the Godly adults that will grow up and sow
Great things and great joys in this world we are in
I’m counting on you all to build a world where all win.

Dorothy Hagan
May 18, 2019