Thank You Mrs. Shaver

When poems I write, I always think of my special teacher,

She was such a big influence, a good literature preacher.

Way back in seventh grade I had mimicked Gunga Dinh,

Was just a laugh, the first half, other poems to soon begin.

Her husband and I placed eye to eye in the same hospital,

Broken legs from sports and a horse, made it unforgettable.

Over the years I remember those days I was back in school,

Seventh grade to be exact, my own actions much like a fool.

The gift of encouragement in my writing skills was well received,

Over the years I've written a lot, more than I ever had conceived.

Mrs. Shaver, my poetic soul saver, my own beginning as a poet,

Her influence made me go higher, in my college, I could show it.

More than fifty years my written work, how fast does time go by,

As I sit at my desk, compose a piece, the rhyming words do fly.

Thanks once again, my friend, you have meant so much to me,

A teacher's gift, patience, of devotion, helped set a mind so free.