"Teachers"

Here's the poem shared by Guy Doud on our radio program "Teacher of the Year."

Teachers
by Clark Mollenhoff (deceased)

You are the molders of their dreams — the gods who build or crush their young beliefs in right or wrong.

You are the spark that sets aflame a poet's hand, or lights the flame in some great singer's song.

You are the gods of the young — the very young.

You are the guardians of a million dreams.

Your every smile or frown can heal or pierce a heart.

Yours are 100 lives, 1,000 lives.

Yours is the pride of loving them, the sorrow too.

Your patient work, your touch, make you the gods of hope that fills their souls with dreams and make those dreams come true.