Mrs. Nelson

Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of “de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum” (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the Renaissance. The first line of Lorem Ipsum, “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..”, comes from a line in section 1.10.32.

MRS. NELSON

She’d show me a word, and then she’d conceal it
She’d ask me to spell it — and then she’d reveal it
She’d cover the word with a paper, and then
She’d ask me to spell the same word once again
Out loud I would say it, on paper I’d write it
With chalk on the board she’d have me highlight it
She knew I could do it — she knew that I could —
When Mrs. Nelson teaches, she teaches for good

She’d get my assignment from the classroom each day
Like geography — then we were off on our way
“What ocean doesn’t touch Iceland?” she’d ask
And finding the answer would then be my task
She’s funny, she’s firm, she’s happy, she’s cool
And I am so blessed she’s my teacher at school.

June 1999