My Beautiful Memories of Brother Stanley and Holy Cross

I remember first hearing about him
When I was a young kid in the 8th grade.
My Dad told me I was going to Holy Cross High School the following year;
That he had spoken to Brother Stanley, and
That no other school could compare for quality education.

I remember a snot-faced, hispanic kid from the deep west side,
Who had trouble reading, writing, ciphering, and speaking.
Many nights I practiced enunciating words in the mirror, which Brother Stanley recommended I do,
So as to remove my deep Hispanic accent.
This was his vision for individual attention and schooling,
So that life wouldn’t be so difficult for me later on, I now figured.

Fifty something years later,
I look back to those 4 years with wonder,
Holy Cross Brothers Stanley, William, Harold, Rene, Nick, Donald, and many others;
Brothers, with the same vision, same purpose, just like he;
Eventually they all educated me, and provided the educational tools I needed.
For surely I would never have been a writer and a poet without them.

Now, Brother Stanley, is still a man of conviction,
For more than five decades, his goal is still to give young men quality education.
I, for one, thank God for putting him on my early path of life,
The way he has for countless others, I’m sure,
He’s been been our anchor, our oak at Holy Cross,
Our path to success, in whatever we chose to do.

Many thanks Brother Stanley, for all your hard work and dedication to us.

Bob Collazo
11/06/23

Brother William and Brother Stanley