I wrote this poem during my college years, while taking a walk with a man who tutored me. It was like a brother/sister relationship. Little by little, I trusted him more and more. He was brilliant and somehow knew exactly how to teach me. He was totally dedicated to teaching me. Somehow, between 1980 and 1985, he not only taught me how to study with classical music playing, or music without lyrics, but how to reduce the time I needed to complete my tests from forty-two hours down to two hours. I learned to remember school material, and to enjoy reading and taking books out of the library. He taught me not just how to write, but grammar, punctuation, and alliteration.
He made learning easy, without pressure. It was fun. I would meet him on campus, take my classes, and spend eight hours afterwards, studying with him.
He gave me projects to think or write about, like writing in haiku. On the day I wrote this poem, we were walking, when I spotted a group of ladybugs. It brought such a smile to my face, full of delight and whimsy, a childlike playfulness, and fancy. I want to share it with you now.
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