Once a Little Girl
By Nancy Myette-Rakoczy

Once a little girl stood poised and scared
       outside doors flung wide
for you just for you!
            come in yes you come in come in
the only one in the class who could
            recite the poem without
stopping or stumbling
            now the whole school sees
you escorted from class to class
            and even the big boys are hushed
my what a big school this is!

Child of immigrants, did you think
       there could be such glory?
do you wonder if life will be like this
            one door after another
flung wide like the classroom doors
            so you can open your green arms
like the boughs of that tree
            and recite over and over and over again
I think that I shall never see
            a poem as lovely as a tree