Saturday, February 28, 2009

Crossing the Bar

A great friend and former teacher died yesterday. Coincidentally, I had just written about her here.
She taught me to love literature and poetry so much, that it is only fitting that I remember her with a poem I memorized in high school at her request.

Crossing the Bar
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;
For though from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.
Alfred Lord Tennyson

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:50 AM

    Susan, what a fitting remembrance for Mrs. Ruff. She was the best of the best at AHS. She commanded respect and we actually learned how to think and analyze in her classes! She instilled in us the value of an education. Literally hundreds upon hundreds of AHS graduates will fondly remember her.

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  2. Thanks Dave. Mrs. Ruff certainly made us all better thinkers and people.

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  3. Anonymous12:03 PM

    Mrs. Ruff: gracious, respected, disciplined, expected much from us as her English students because she knew we could. I admired her so much. Do you remember when she laughed, she'd tip her head and look down. I loved her. Many will bid her a fond farewell Wednesday.

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