“The Music Man”

“The Music Man”

They called my dad the “music man”
When he was teaching school.
Along with math and language arts,
His music was a tool.

When teaching kids arithmetic
With fractions as the goal,
He’d tap a rhythm on a desk.
“Four quarters make a whole!”

They’d nod their heads; they understood!
They’d improvise his beat.
Soon everyone was jumping up
And dancing at their seat.

When trying to read poetry
With kids who didn’t care,
He’d sing it with a hip-hop sound
And suddenly, they’re there!

“Whose woods are these, I’m asking you.
Yo, dude, I think I know.
My horse, he’d best be moving on
‘Cause I be chillin’, bro.”

With music, laughter and some fun,
He showed them how to learn.
He wanted them to reach beyond
The point of no return.

“You can’t quit now! You can’t drop-out!
Just look how far you’ve come.
You’re marching to a whole new beat
And you’ve just found the drum.”

“You’ve got the brain; you’ve got the skills
You know you can’t stop now.”
So they told him they’d stay in school
And each one took a vow.

But dad’s not teaching anymore.
Last year he had a stroke.
He barely has the energy
To smile or tell a joke.

But they remember, all those kids
Who knew the “music man”.
They send him cards and they stop by
And visit when they can.

They’ve all gone off to college now.
Their classes have begun.
With English, math and history,
But music’s number one!

Their days are long; the work is hard;
The pressure is intense.
But they say Dad gave them a gift
To help it all make sense.


rhyme pattern: abcb
rhythm pattern: 8-6-8-6