He watched in wonder
At the way
she stood her ground
Not a trace
on her face
of the fear
that hovered round
If she were shaking
He could not see a clue
not a quiver on her lip
All she had
was that finger tip
She pointed in his face
As she demanded
he go back take his place
Then she turned her back on this boy
Took the chalk in hand
Started writing up tomorrows  lesson plan
Clearly, he sees that boy
Out of sorts .. out of place
Out of ways... to arrange his face
He tried bravado , arrogance, and disgust
Wanted so badly to open up and show how righteously he cussed
But she never turned around
Had no clue if he obeyed
Unclinching that fist
was the best move
that he ever made
Only three short steps back to his seat
but more like a marathon
He struggled to complete
He stood up that day
a defiant and willful punk
He sat back down as
A human being who had shrunk
To the measure well deserved
as she stood fast and he had swerved
Not a single eye was bearing down
No other boy in class
Would call him a clown ...
...but he did...I did.  I did  he cryed out. loud
I knew right then I lost
22 years ago and still paying the cost
Hes down someone yelled from out in the hall
But he simply held her in his arms
Kneeling as was right
For she was a dead queen now
And he was her faithful knight
He didn't knows that a bit of life still held
As the blood seeped out
the bullet holes
That she stood in defiance of
He had to wonder if she pointed at the killer
as she once had at him
I can see you as strong today as you were back then
In the memories
like yesterday
where I have just been
I changed that day you know
You tore me apart
and rebuilt me
with that one finger of your hand
and helped me become
the man I am
And here I am crying like a baby
in the shadow of such courage and strength
Stop that Danial ...Detective Harris She whispered in her last dying breath
You are not crying like a baby Dan ...you're crying like a man. Then she was gone .