Poem by Griffin Furlong
You might think you are worthless, or that you’re invisible,
But I know for a fact your impact is unequivocal.
You’ve lived in my mind forever rent-free,
Since I learned how to count and learned how to read.
You were there when my mom was sent up to Heaven,
You were there for me when I had millions of questions.
Sometimes my head was foggy and often a blur,
But when others weren’t there, you always were.
You had to hold strong and develop some patience,
Especially when I felt like I had limitations.
What is a student if there is never a teacher?
How do we grow the future of leaders?
How can they read if there’s no one to teach them?
How can they dream if no one believes in them?
Those are questions I ponder
When my mind wanders.
Was it all me—the awards and the honors?
The degree and the lessons and my current profession?
I think I had something to do with it, no doubt
But I would be crazy if I counted you out.
Today you will realize, and I hope to see,
That you’re more than a teacher, at least to me.