He Gave Her a Book

Elsie* was poor, a little fourth-grade girl-- It was clear she was underprivileged, as Her hair was unkempt, with never a curl, And her clothes were frequently unclean A local preacher came to her room and told Her a story that happened so very long ago; Gave her a book called the New Testament, It was like he had given her tablets of gold Treasuring that book, the only one she had, She read parts of it every day, just like he said, Until she found a special verse, John 3:16, And that small book changed her life forever. Elsie kept in her heart as much as she could Each day reading verses from her precious book, When she did not return for fifth grade I learned She died of cancer; her NT from her hands they took. This story is true, so many years ago When Gideons were allowed to hand One to each child in the fourth-grade class, so Then, something changed throughout our land. [*This is the true story of a little girl named Debbie who never made it to my fifth-grade class.] written May 15, 2021 for "He Gave Her a Book" Poetry Contest sponsored by Mystic Rose Rose