A Shadow's Love

I am your pupil, the quiet school child,
the one who admires, but says not a word.
I am but the shadow, placid and mild,
the one who might whisper, but never is heard.

You are the angel, kind and forgiving,
telling the shadow that she has a voice.
You are the reason that she keeps on living,
the one reason she has to sing and rejoice.

And though you may love your helpless dependent,
that love is the love of a man to his child:
You think me a treasure, bright and resplendent,
and as nothing else could I ever be styled.

A/N: For the record, this was not written for one of my teachers. The reference to teaching is about learning the ways of the world and how best to survive it.