Legendary Teacher and Student
Born in New England in the wake of the Civil War,
Her folks fled Irish famine and landed on our shore.
At age five, she took sick, losing almost all her sight.
At eight, her mother died, and her father, he took flight.
She and her kid brother went to a house for the poor.
Soon TB took her brother. Poor Jimmie was no more.
From Tewksbury almshouse, she could not hope to escape,
Though ‘twas investigated for abuse, cruelty and rape.
When the inspector came, she jumped, she was no fool,
To declare, “Mr. Sanborn, I want to go to school!”
So, she next studied at the Perkins School for the Blind,
Befriending Laura Bridgman - others were disinclined.
Laura was the first deafblind granted education.
From her, she learned to finger spell, via touch sensation.
That skill turned out to be of use, when the stars aligned,
And the school was contacted to teach a young deafblind.
A wealthy family in Alabama, far away
Had a baby girl who took sick, as fate would have its say.
The use of both her eyes and ears, her illness took away.
When the girl was six, despair took them to Perkins, far away.
Perkins for the Blind couldn’t help, though they’d help if they could.
Instead, ‘twas to be Anne, who could finger spell, who would.
Anne’s thoughts were unknown, but one of them was not “defeat”.
She took a train, and headed south, with destiny to meet.
It was eighteen eighty-seven, on March’s third day
When Anne would meet the deafblind girl. With her, her mission lay.
The wild creature, in dense fog, never pierced by sun’s ray,
Would one day declare this very date to be her soul’s birthday.
First, Anne thought, “I must teach her obedience and love.
There will be battles ahead, but I trust God above.”
March the twenty seventh was the day her heart would sing.
Upon the little girl shone the light of understanding.
Lord above! That student matched her teacher’s will so strong!
Until she knew it all, her lessons, she would prolong!
The spark lit, the fire blazed, her mind hot and curious,
Her learning she continued, ever fast and furious.
As years passed, she didn’t stop, learning braille and to speak.
Then she learned Latin, physics, astronomy, and Greek,
And true to Anne’s self-promise, she was taught the word “love”:
You can’t touch it, but it brings happiness, like clouds above.
She was told that in college, she never could compete.
But before a battle, a soldier does not admit defeat.
The roadblocks to a college education, they were great.
Yet, Phi Beta Kappa, from Radcliff she did graduate.
So, you’ve guessed, this tale of two women oh so stellar,
Is that of Anne Sullivan and of Helen Keller,
And now you know the story, every bit of which is true,
Of the greatest teacher and student, the world ever knew.
Copyright ©
David Crandall
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