Dr. Jerre Johnson
Posted: January 26th, 2011, 3:12 pm
“It grows by inches— dies by feet!” he’d ball
from sidewalks at the college students who
went barefoot— cutting corners— on the grass,
but he was my professor and I loved
him, cherished his respect and loved his wits,
his intellect. I tried to walk his way—
and he was easy to admire: the man’d
defend the soil on which all scholars stand—
he’d speak of its integrity. He’d play
with its ubiquity. He’d ponder its
antiquity and, lovingly, he’d proved
to me that dirt, upholding grass I pass
so easily, deserves my loving too—
and, should the dirt be loved, then why not all?
from sidewalks at the college students who
went barefoot— cutting corners— on the grass,
but he was my professor and I loved
him, cherished his respect and loved his wits,
his intellect. I tried to walk his way—
and he was easy to admire: the man’d
defend the soil on which all scholars stand—
he’d speak of its integrity. He’d play
with its ubiquity. He’d ponder its
antiquity and, lovingly, he’d proved
to me that dirt, upholding grass I pass
so easily, deserves my loving too—
and, should the dirt be loved, then why not all?