In Her Wake

If the value of a life lived
Can be determined by
The number of people impacted
During that life,
Then she was a world leader
Of enormous stature.

She was an English teacher
Whose passion for literature,
Love for people,
And exuberance for life
Rubbed off on thousands
Through the years.

She had a way about her
That inspired people
To believe in themselves,
To accomplish great things,
To stretch their wings and fly,
To live a life they love.

In 35 years of teaching
She had spawned
Doctors and lawyers,
Artists and architects,
Poets and authors,
Men and women of the world.

For this incredible lady
Each day of her life
Was a celebration,
A splendid affair
Full of pageantry and hope
And the people she loved.

She passed away
At 85 years of age,
Some 30 years after
Retiring from teaching
But not before leaving
One final set of instructions.

She demanded
That not a single tear
Be wasted on her passing
For she had lived
An awesome life
For which she was proud.

Instead, in her wake
A party was to be held
Celebrating the life she lived
With the people she touched
Showing the impact
That one Lady had on the world.

People came from all around,
Former students of hers,
Mostly 40 to 70 years of age,
To commemorate her life,
The gifts she had given them
And the legacy of her teaching.