Teachers

 In 1966
Adam West as Batman 
instilled in me
respect for justice,
the use of proper grammar,
and a love of pop art.

The Frankenstein monster,

chased by angry mobs

across the TV screen,

taught me that when you are hated

it says more about the haters

than the object of their hatred,

while Scooby Doo revealed to me

that the real monsters

are, invariably, humans.

Bugs Bunny let me know it was okay

to live life on my own terms,

and that I should never take crap

from anybody,

while Curly Howard taught me

to never let the Moes of the world

crush my spirit

or my sense of silliness.

John Lennon inspired me

to play with words

and to twist them in ways

that would send pretentious academics

into paroxysms.

Charlie Brown taught me

to be true to myself

even in the face of ridicule,

to seek out the Linuses of the world

in times of misgiving,

while Snoopy taught me

to dance through life and never let the world

constrain my fancies. - Jeff Barnes