My Student, Kanza by Ms. Sadaf Syed

My Student, Kanza

Your Miss. Sadaf

You’re gone, Kanza and I never got to say goodbye

My heart is filled with sadness, you made this teacher cry

All I see before my eyes, is your smiling, laughing face

You always listened attentively; love and respect in your gaze

Any task I gave, you did it well; you were a teacher’s helper

Your friends looked up to you, because you explained it better

As a sister you were loving and strict, your brothers can avouch

They had to work as hard as you; you feared the teacher’s reproach

Social studies bored you; Math and English you enjoyed

Your stories were long and creative, but at grammar you excelled

You were talented, but afraid to explore your dreams

The other girls would mock you; to you that’s what it seemed

But Kanza, you sang my song so well, even if it was out of tune

I loved you more for trying; I reveled in your husky croon

The short time you had in this world was a gift

For those who knew you, you will be dearly missed

I don’t know who taught who more, was it me or you?

As I pray, I reflect on how you touched my life anew

What you leave behind are not memories, but true lessons

Of honesty, sincere effort, generosity and commitment

You’re gone now, Kanza; I wish I’d embraced you the last time you passed me by

My heart is filled with pride for having known you; but the tears I cannot deny

January 30, 2015

Though an economist by profession, Ms. Sadaf Syed has been an educator since July 2008. She began teaching English and Social Studies to primary classes and later on, ventured into school administration as a Year Tutor in the Junior Section. She has been engaged with young children (from ages 8 to 12) for the past 12 years now and finds her strength in motivating and encouraging her students to be the best version of themselves. In her spare time, she enjoys reading articles and books and sometimes writes poetry and songs for children to express her thoughts.

In January 2015, Ms. Sadaf lost one of her students to a tragic and fatal incident of severe food poisoning and it left an indelible mark on her. In such a moment of loss and emotional distress, she penned a tribute to her student in order to capture her memory and honour her student.