she was not your usual teacher

she was not your usual teacher she taught us how to think taught us how to believe in ourselves how to imagine our lives full of joy school had been boring until I met her she would not allow my boredom to close me down we had lunch together, and she discovered the real me I was not the person I showed to the world I was a thinker, who had been shut down by negativity a girl who had forgotten how passionate new ideas are she coaxed the little shut down child of me to play with possibilities I began to study stars, geology, artists I began to read biographies She opened me up to new possibilities Taught me to be a life-long learner She was not your usual teacher