Miss Jones' Birthday-Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post

She walked into the third grade classroom late It was a most depressing day It was her 60th birthday She has been single her entire life and lives in a small apartment with her feline friend Tiger She has no children of her own but she has these… These are the children of her third grade class Her students took the broken pieces of chalk and had written HAPPY BIRTHDAY & SURPRISE JONESY all over the chalkboard They were delighted with their homemade decorations Three children brought in the brightest red apples and placed them on her desk Another brought her a bright red rose There were also two very creatively wrapped gifts on her desk Her heart was moved by the hearts of her children She didn’t realize they knew it was her big day She just stood at the front of the room with her petticoat and wool hat Surprised and speechless she thanked God for her kids She wouldn't trade them for anything in the universe It was her 60th birthday and she didn't have to spend it alone! Written by Gwendolen Rix 10-11-14 Poem based upon Norman Rockwell’s famous painting “Teacher’s Surprise” for The Saturday Evening Post