Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Poetry Wednesday: Flowers for My Teachers.

 
Flowers for My Teachers.
 
Walking was how we went to school. This is how we made our treks through all of the seasons, sometimes hitching the occasional ride if weather was too inhospitable to cater for small feet.  When I was older I would ride my bike, free wheeling it down the steep hills or climbing off to wheel it up the steeper inclines.
Occasionally, when even pedalling or walking was too difficult for tired legs, just getting to school is memorable for me.
There were good memories too because of so many interesting gardens along the way.  It was always a walk of a longer duration for us, as my sister and I would spy any pretty foliage or flowers that just happened to stick their pretty little heads out through the garden fences.
You see these little delights were all fondly bunched into a pretty little posy for our teacher of the day.
Sometimes it would be an offering of fruit, and if ripe fruit was overhanging the fences it meant extra breakfast for us too!!
Sustaining us both along the two mile walk as
we both munched away happily, treading the road verges as we headed towards our school.
Some of the teachers who benefited from our bounty I have written about in my poem below.
 
 
Flowers for My Teachers.
 
 
In The Higher schools there was Miss De Vrie's
She made history an adventure for me.
We learnt by charades and I was Cleopatra's sentry
Sitting in class, next to the handsome, Mark Antony.
I loved art, literature, history and sport
For Miss Burdon, art was her world and always in her thought.
Miss Burdon with pleasure I drew in my art book for you
Your remarks for me,ridiculous and peculiar, now how that rang true.
Grade seven saw a big change on my behalf
I had Mr Shebella he knew from the start.
That with trust and encouragement taught from the heart
The very best that year he worked with me to impart.
Ah! Successive teachers they came as I went further
They all left their marks in one way or another.
The years seemed to speed by and out of school too.
Mrs Oatly was special more like a mother, to her GLB crew.
Now my thoughts turn to the time as we all sewed a new dress,it was called a, moo moo
It was my best friend Pam, who looked more like my twin, when she made and wore the same one too.
Mrs Wrobel kept me busy, doing so many great things with Pam
The cottage cheese we made often, and I thank you for your efforts, Ma'am
I have so many to thank, for my days of learning
Today is no different as my mind keeps on yearning.
For more knowledge and discoveries and there is so much to read
The biggest teacher I find is life and for all of us to succeed
An ability to seek out good teachers, is a perfect formula indeed!
 
Milli 2007.
 
Tour from here.
 
photos taken by me.

23 comments:

  1. I am about to place another photo in here because it fits the theme well. It is called out walking. done. refresh the page if you wish to view.

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  2. This is such a nuturing work, fond memories of those who instilled you with education where you wanted to learn, wanted to strive, wanted to become. In this way, you gave back a part of you, of which you still carry them within yourself. This reminds me somewhat of three teachers that were the best in their field and mad learning a creative joy. I am really loving this one. Huggers 8=)

    http://danceinsilence.multiply.com/journal/item/390/Poetry_Wednesday_Holder_Of_Wisdom

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  3. and now as the years pass by,
    its my kids turn to read that book
    out in the yard to run and play
    then in to learn by hook or by crook

    love them or hate those very one
    its them we now get to imitate
    teachers are what we've become
    teaching to learn ans investigate

    for we are leaders to our very own
    showing the right from the wrong
    its our kids that must be shown
    late nights, after the bedtime gong.....................

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  4. Nice touch with the additional photo 8=)

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  5. Bill the job of teaching whether teaching our own or some one else's children is so very important. Children are like little sponges from birth and they carry and become everything that surrounds them and their own unique lives. It can never be stressed too much the impact that good teachers have on all of us.
    I do enjoy your verse comment back to me Peter. You get the picture beautifully. We do carry our past into our present life as we nurture those around us and encourage them to learn and acquire more knowledge.
    Two fantastic comments here from Bill and Peter as I meandered back in time.

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  6. This is great! Nothing better than hand picked flowers and it is so sweet how you remember your teachers (both of my parents were teachers).
    The photo is comfy cozy and goes well with your piece...just wonderful

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  7. teachers are many, to accept them as one there is none
    religions are many, to accept god as one there is none,
    sisters are many, to accept me as a brother here is one,
    millions are millis, but i rarely find a milli in one and that is u

    thanks for your visit to mine dear milli, yes life is the best teacher, not all have waded it with care, not all have a guidance to hold u walk to the school, some are enriched, some find their own way, on finding their own way, many are hurt! stay blessed if u feel happy while u go down a memory lane, for down the memory lane are not as rosy for all! but remember those who had a patchy past give best to their children not to make wade through those molasses that they as young waded through in the past! good day!

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  8. aw how nice I have good memories to of most of my teachers

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  9. Beautiful story (I trust is real life one) in your own immaculate way. Awesome poem. Thank you for sharing and for visiting my page and commenting my blog.

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  10. Dear friends this is a part of my life and a true story. Most of what you get from me has a base somewhere in my personal existence. Of course I do write fantasy and fiction too. Sometimes I think that when I write people see me as having a charmed life LOL far from that , however I choose to write in more of an upbeat way for personal reasons. At the time I was at this school I was a child with 3 younger siblings no father figure around me, little other family support for my mother because my father lived in another state with a new life of his own. Circumstances of the day made my siblings and I a family on the outer. I give credit here to some of my teachers who at least showed kindness and gave me support without interference. As the quote from John Lennon goes" life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans" I feel this is exactly how it was. So in verse I thank those devoted people I called my teachers they truly were at times my solid ground.

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  11. This is so cute and so sweet! Your talent really comes out in this one. I LOVED it!

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  12. That was so cool....and ya own stuff....love it!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  13. my teachers all preferred to boot my butt for me....dunno why, I was a goooooood booooooooy at skule................

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  14. I bet you are among your teachers' best treasures, Milli! Just a very lovely tribute for them that also says so much about your own sweet & intelligent nature, too! Enjoyed it very much!

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  15. Very sweet memories; as an educator of more than 30 years, I salute you and appreciate this loving post. The introduction was as lovely as the poem, they both sang to me. If only people understood what a hard job it is and expressed appreciation more.
    Thanks for many things.

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  16. Beautiful memories, and how we are touched by those in our lives. Thank you.

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  17. this should be given to all educators that leaves a remarkable trait on their students...great work.
    http://ppiccola.multiply.com/journal/item/450/Goodbye

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  18. Love the photos and the words! I loved my teachers also, the gifts they imparted to me, the me they saw when I couldn't. It's why I became a teacher and why I try to do the same for them. I would have been honored to have been one of yours. -j

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  19. hi I'm sorry I'm late thanks for sharing these memories. In my teacher training I found
    the most important thing I could pass on to my preschool students was a love and joy for life

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  20. Belated on the tour, I'm happy to find a nostalgic and profound travel back at our school years!

    "The biggest teacher I find is life and for all of us to succeed
    An ability to seek out good teachers, is a perfect formula indeed!"

    You're right! I only wish the State here, in my country, could find that formula, as (for now) they thing that the best teacher is the one that - AFTER having successfully graduated four years of theoretical training and practice - can memorize tons of theories and put them on a piece of contest paper. In-class performance seems inferior.....

    Oh, please, excuse my blurbing - I just got carried away...Thanks so much for the great tribute!!! :)

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  21. May I take a moment to appreciate how many teachers there are in this group and not only teachers but children of teachers. I guess there is something to be said here for that alone. I am happy that my little story and verse has been well received in the vein in which it was written. Like a celebration of sorts this little verse salutes those good people mentioned above who probably without realising it contributed to my own eagerness to learn.
    Please accept my thankfulness for the wonderful comments here and Zafreud I understand that teachers are under more strain these days then ever before. We must and governments must never forget that the small scholars of today will be the future and one day lead our societies. Are we teaching them how to do that?

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