National Adult Literacy Database

December 28, 1998

This poem was written by Shawn Boucher. Shawn was born in Timmins, Ontario in 1978 and lived in Northwestern Ontario before locating to Southern Ontario. He is the youngest of three children born to Bonnie Bishop. Raising three children on her own was quite difficult, and as a result, he failed to aquire adequate learning skills, prior to entering elementary school. From Kindergarden to Grade Eight he failed several times, and he has never attended a regular high school. All of the credits he has achieved are from institutions throughout Ontario.

Fare Thee Well

By: Shawn Boucher

She was ragged, old, and gray,
And bent with the chill of the winter's day.
She lowered her head in solemn way,
And very quietly began to pray.

With her heart feeling not so high
She lifted her head up to the sky.
She knew that soon she would die,
So she lifted her head in one last goodbye.

"Please," she said to the One above,
"Help him find his one true love,
Let him soar like freest dove
So that I may watch from high above,

"Release him from the Devil's spell
And escape the torment of living Hell.
For in my heart and soul he'll dwell,
Until that day of Fare Thee Well."

"On bended knee I pray to Thee
To give my son great destiny.
And a heart that beats swift, sure and free
To have strength and courage for his family."

"The hardest part is ending this
So I pray to thee for eternal bliss.
If the Lord would grant this one last wish.
I can leave this world I'll sadly miss."

[This poem was taken with permission, from Keynotes, the newsletter of the Southwestern Ontario Adult Literacy Network (SOALN), November 1997.]