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A tribute to teachers and studentsl

Friends for Life   Tobie Hoffman    
In honor of 26 years of ESL teaching and memories of one student, Gift.
                   F
I was standing in my class one day teaching reading
            Bb                                                                                                       
And it was the day when they had their choice of any book
  F
On the shelf above was a book that she had never seen
           Bb                                                                    C                       F
She asked if she could take it down to get a better look

She started with page i and without hesitation
Poured over it til she finished x- i- v
I said it’s not important to read the introduction
She turned the pages slowly and made it clear to me

                               F                             C            Dm
That there’s nothing she’d rather be doing
             Bb                           C             Bb                                C
Than hold it in her arms to see what it can offer
               F                   Am                    Bb
She’ll start from the very beginning
         Bb                        C                    F
And it will be her friend for life

The second week  she finished those Roman numerals
Announced with great excitement that she  started Chapter 1
As the poets introduced themselves she grew  quiet
Listening to their voices the courtship had begun——

With each sonnet and elegy these new friends shared their secrets
Shakespeare showed his loving side  Cummings cracked a smile
Robert Frost explained his choice to walk a path unique to him
Emily and Adrienne lingered by her side
And there’s nothing they’d rather be doing
To hold her in their arms  To see what she can offer
They’ll start from the very beginning
And they will be her friends for life

Bb             F C F
Will she take the road less travelled
Bb       F           C            F
Will it bring her joy or pain
Bb            F      C            Dm
She may find love or sorrow
           Gm            C
She’ll do it all again

I forgot to mention This woman was from Thailand
poetry was never something she liked or understood
How much more of a miracle  That in learning English
The lives of our poets had opened up her world

Chorus

And there’s nothing we’d rather be doing
To hold her in their arms  To see what she can offer
We’ll start from the very beginning
And we will be her friends       
She will be our friend
We will be friends for life

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