Farewell

Mr. McKenzie 

A man I never knew,

A teacher I never had,

A man loved by many,

Whose years were so few.

Today, during last block, those who were at Sherando learned of Mr. McKenzie's death. Mr. McKenzie was a social studies teacher at Sherando. And now, he is gone. I have no emotional attachment to him whatsoever, but his death is still saddening. It's strange to think that my classmates and I will never see Mr. McKenzie again, right at the end of sociology, and the school day, on Day 2s. It's weird because his classroom is right across from Mr. Walker's and we used to see him every other day. He was there last week and that's part of why it's so shocking. I didn't know him, but I knew of his existence. He was here.

Mr. McKenzie even came into our class one day to help Mr. Walker with a psychology/sociology related experiment. We were supposed to state in detail what Mr. McKenzie had been wearing and what he did while in the room. I don't even remember much anymore. I could have sworn that the tie he was wearing at the time was patterned, but it wasn't. His tie was a plain green. He spoke to one of my classmates, opened the blinds, erased something from the whiteboard, and supposedly saluted before he left the classroom. I'm sure I'm missing something, but I can't remember anything more. 

By 4 o'clock, there were very few people left at school. I feel like that rare occurrence had, in some part, to do with Mr. McKenzie's death. And so the school was deserted, like a ghost town. Even the sky looked gloomy, like it wanted to cry. It's weird to say or think that he is gone. 

I don't know the cause of his death. I've heard rumors all around. Even if those rumors are true, I won't take back these words. I will not be one to judge Mr. McKenzie in who he was and how he lived. That's not my place.

Farewell, Mr. McKenzie. Sherando will miss you. 

May your beautiful soul rest in peace.