A tribute to a departed teacher,

Until we meet again,

Someday in another time,

I'll cherish you as my friend,

And keep you in this rhyme.

Time went by like the wind,

And now you're no longer here.

Wondering what could've been,

Behind our prayers and our tears.

This is a tribute to our hero,

Whose sacrifices we failed to see.

And just like the river's flow,

We can't reverse what's meant to be.

But now, you're in a better place,

Shining down on us from the skies.

Your days forever filled with grace,

And it's time to say our goodbyes.

-

This poem is dedicated to my late teacher. We lost her just last night of heart attack. It was a shocking and heartbreaking news. Even until today, I am left utterly speechless.

She lived with her sickness and even put her health at stake just to attend a class who won't even pay attention to her. She would raise her voice to match with the 20 of us and eventually run out of breath, find it hard to stand up, and feel like collapsing.

The very last class we had with her was taken for granted by our disrespectful behavior. Just in the next two days, she got in a comma and forever left the world a few hours later. She has just graduated college and started a new life away from her hometown.

I remember my last conversation with her. We were joking about steroids and at that moment, I never thought that it would be our very last conversation together. It still shatters my heart to this very moment.

But, I learned a lesson, absolutely the hard way.

You never know when someone's going to walk away from your life. You never know wether or not you'd have a chance to say goodbye, or say sorry for the wrongs that you've done.

All you know after is the regrets, regrets, and regrets. I regret not giving her the attention she deserves. I regret not showing more care for her when I knew that she was running out of breath. I regret not appreciating the sacrifices she has made for me. I regret that I never had the chance to say thank you.

But now, no one can do anything about it. I hope that you reading this right now, would take your time to reflect on the people that you have wronged, or taken for granted. Show them that you care, show them that you appreciate them.

You never know until when you are given the time.

Rest in peace. You are a hero. Thank you.