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Witness to Time Passing

Time passes
Slowly
All at once.

 Year after year
I teach.
Students come
Students go
I teach.

 Time passes
Slowly
All at once.

 I witness
Graduations
Moving
New jobs
Engagements
Death.

 In the past week, I've seen so many former students. I saw  a lot at the memorial service for one of my former fifth grade students. She was a light. Kind. Beautiful. There aren't enough tears to grieve this loss. At her service, I saw student after student...

 Grown up. 
We hug. 
Catch up. 
I marvel 
at the who they are. 
I feel hope. 
Hope for our broken world. 
They are kind. 
As I look into their twenty-something year old eyes, 
I still see the fifth grader. 
Their joy. 

 Time passes
Slowly
All at once.





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  1. 1981shamrockAugust 23, 2016 at 6:50 AM

    Wow. Beautiful, Michelle .

    ReplyDelete
  2. DogtraxAugust 23, 2016 at 6:57 AM

    So sorry that you had to attend a funeral of a former student. You are right ... time passes and sometimes, we barely catch our breath.
    Kevin

    ReplyDelete
  3. BKAugust 23, 2016 at 6:59 AM

    So sorry MIchelle. How hard to begin a new year with this sadness. I'm with you, sending you power!
    Bonnie

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousAugust 23, 2016 at 7:20 AM

    I love the repetition of time passes, slowly, all at once. It is so true, so hard, so wonderful. Thinking of you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Stacey ShubitzAugust 23, 2016 at 7:46 AM

    The loss of your former student was palpable from the first line. I knew where you were going with it. I'm glad that, despite the loss, you were able to see the wonderful adults your former students are growing up to be.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jennifer LaffinAugust 23, 2016 at 7:49 AM

    Isn't it a bit surreal to see how your students have grown and have become adults, when you still feel the same as they day you were their teacher? It's like, how does that happen??? We both wrote about the passage of time today to -- add that to our list of coincidences!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Kimberley MoranAugust 23, 2016 at 8:06 AM

    I feel your sadness. I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope it helped in some small way to share it here and let us take on some of your sorrow with you. You should read The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill.

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownAugust 23, 2016 at 8:54 AM

    My favorite line is :

    Time passes
    Slowly
    All at once.

    That really sums up a teaching career. I look back on my 28 years of teaching and it seems to have flown by. And yet, days crawl and in february, Spring Break feels far away. Thanks for sharing this.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Terje August 23, 2016 at 2:57 PM

    Sad and beautiful poem. I am sorry for the loss of your former student.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Miss MurphyAugust 23, 2016 at 3:02 PM

    I'm so sorry, Michelle.

    I love your Slice today. This is how I feel all the time, too... time passes, slowly, all at once. Just beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  11. JaanaAugust 23, 2016 at 5:36 PM

    Love sustains us. Love stays with us even at times like these. You bring beauty to this difficult situation with your touching poem. Love.

    ReplyDelete
  12. CatherineAugust 23, 2016 at 8:45 PM

    I'm so sorry about the loss of your student, Michelle. Your poem and "Seasons" are exactly right for the moment. Hugs to you.

    ReplyDelete
  13. RamonaAugust 23, 2016 at 9:05 PM

    "I feel hope. . . They are kind." Such affirming words for the future of your fifth graders. Hugs for this loss. Thank you for your beautiful poem and attaching the song to your post.

    ReplyDelete

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