Hey folks!
I hope this Wednesday finds you energized and motivated. I have a new one for you today.
This week’s poem is about, among other things, the state of our schools and the resulting state of our children. I participated in a college fair a few weeks ago at a high school in DC (not to say that all DC schools are in a state of disrepair). From the moment I walked through the metal detectors at the front door (I know, it’s a necessary evil) to the types of students I encountered at my alma mater’s information table…wow…and not in a good way. I won’t drown you with all the details, but know that I left there feeling quite discouraged about the state of our young people and the state of their futures. The fact that one of the most asked questions was something in the realm of…so, what y’all do here?…was disturbing. To further add to my vex-ation (is that a word??), I just recently participated in an engineering outreach program at a high school in Howard County, MD (in the suburbs, saw very few Black students), where civil engineering professionals talk with students about what we do and the options they may find in the engineering field. (Clearly, in this case, there is the automatic assumption that these kids are going to college.) The difference between the academic level of the students, the facilities, the opportunities, etc. was…wild…and again, not in a good way. Anyway, I say all that to say, that’s where this one got its roots.
Frustrated Futures
Sigh…
I stand and look into the eyes of
our Future
and I wonder if they know
they’re our Future
and I wonder if they have
a future
and I’m thinking
odds couldn’t be worse
if they were trying to win the lottery
without a ticket
because the thickness
of their obstacles
has me scared for them
as their tilted brims
shade their eyes to hide
either fear or fearlessness
I witness
their hard miscalculated steps
and am unsure
whether it’s
ignorance, nonchalance or mis-education
that dictates their moves
and I contemplate
why they had to lose
their innocence so early
and I’m worried
that there’s no getting it back
Life is stacked against them
when metal detectors
have to greet them
on the way In to
school
and the sad and ironic truth is
that in most cases
our schools are where
high expectations
are considered to be most
out of place
and clearly
someone doesn’t think
that these minds
(in particular)
are necessarily
a terrible thing to waste
Hallways are filled with
uncertain child-like eyes
that betray almost grown faces
if only for a moment
to indicate that they
are
Lost.
and They are failing
because We are failing
to give them
direction
and instead
there is a direct connection
between our schools and
the institution’s prisons
and no diplomas are needed
for matriculation from one to the
other
Dreams and aspirations are
no longer even smothered
because they would first have to
know
they exist
and I fear
They don’t know.
and unless we can
bus them
to the schools on the other side
where they still have room
in the budget
for successful futures
I fear
They won’t know.
and the worst thing of all
is that
I don’t know
if
We know
how to fix it.
sigh…
–cdt, 12.06.06
