Toni Long
there were three
and she was
one of ‘em
and I can still
see her now
crunching that green
apple
‘cause she didn’t
have time for lunch
she kept her hair
real short
‘cause she didn’t
have time to fuss
not a trace of shadow
on her face
she was all about
wellness
that’s what
she taught us
in all her
Britannica brilliance
and she was always in a hurry
to get somewhere
‘cause somebody needed her
badly to be there
and when we’d talk
our talks
she made me feel like
I was the most important person
like what I had to say mattered
enough to slow down
and I remember one day
after class
asking her not about
wellness
but about life
the tragedies of life
and how could I help
all of that
how could I grow up
and make it better
here’s what she told the kid:
“you have to think
of the world
as a great big pie
none of us get
the whole pie
we only get a slice
and you have to
figure out
for yourself
how to make
that slice count …
you can’t change
the whole world
and its problems
none of us can
but you can take a slice of it
and do something great
you can make a difference
in the world
that way
give something back
that’s how you make it better
I know you can do that”
TL