Ode to Zach

Today my good friend Zach returned to the US after 3 years teaching english (and other fun activities) in the Czech Republic. I met Zach in his first semester at OU, back when he was immersed in the trend of not wearing shoes and saying things like "huzzah" and such. He changed a little by his sophomore year (starting with wearing shoes more often), and he and I hung out pretty much bi-weekly for the next 2 years. Sometimes we struggled to carry a conversation -- the two of us not always being on the same page - but in those times, we just enjoyed the quietness. Zach graduated with honors in only 3 years! Then he took a plunge very few people ever do - going overseas, to a "needy" place (in terms of few english teachers combined with few believers) - and devoted three full years of his life to the Kralupians. I am very proud of him and the things he has accomplished (he once decided after a few weeks of jogging that he would run the Prague marathon the following week... so with no training whatsoever, he pulled it off!) I'm neither creative nor suave, so I'm publically posting this little composition to my friend Zach. I'm not around to personally welcome you home, friend, so have a strawberry rum daiquiri for me, ok? And celebrate those long days of speaking only english!!

Ode to Zach

Oh, yes you did roam,
In a land far from home,
Where the folk talk all funny all day.
But taught them you did,
They nearly made you their kid,
And for them now you will always pray.

Home, yes Zach is back home,
Where folk still talk funny all day.
Tornadoes and plains; sooner girls, football games,
But for them you will still always pray.