In Memory of Tom Fisher

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Estancia High School senior Lauren Cassidy wrote the

following poem in memory of science teacher Tom Fisher, who died Tuesday

afternoon of an apparent heart attack. See Page A4 for the full story.

o7 They way you taught us to stay awake,

And listen to the lessons you were trying to make.

They way your glasses were never on straight,

The horrible fear of being late.

Your jackets and high socks and comb-over way,

You made us look at every day.

The temperature of your room so very cold,

These memories we will always hold.

The T-Birds at the homecoming game,

The way Estancia will never forget your name.

Your antiques and toys and old fishing tales,

That famous part you had of the whales.

f7 Your skeleton friend you gave a name,

o7 To help us learn to play the biology game.

The way you made us sit and learn,

Yours was the only folder we didn’t want to burn.

The bug collection which we worked so hard,

Making us catch them in our own backyard.

Your funny stories and constant jokes,

Making us believe there is more to old folks.

They way you believed in all of us so dear,

We will never forget you were here.

The dissection of the grasshopper, frog and worm,

Your huge, scary, stressful midterm.

They way you made it all somehow fun,

f7 And made me proud of all I had done.

o7 Our afternoon talks we had to share,

Sometimes life just doesn’t seem fair.

You told me that one day, my sophomore year,

You teach because you love it so dear,

You told me teaching was your job as a man,

And you will teach until you no longer can.

Now is your chance to jump and prance,

And teach those in heaven who didn’t get the chance.

I am so fortunate that you taught me,

The impact you made you will never see.

Thank you for not killing me dead,

When it slipped “is that a toupee on your head?”

f7 The many falls down your classroom stairs,

o7 The loud noises from the lab side chairs.

Your mural at which I never got around to,

Believe me the Eagles will never forget you.

I know you will teach in heaven the lessons you taught me,

How much luckier could those people be?

You were more than a teacher, you were a friend,

We thank God he gave us you to lend.

Thanks again for all your time,

You gave us until 1999.

Oh, and I have one last confession to make,

The picture on the wall, yes, I did break.

f7