sixty-four years back
students went on strike for this
and now we lose it
how shocking to see
a city dividing now
united in hate
segregation rules
what MLK lost with shots
fired for nothing
beliefs
Teacher Mother Prayer
headstand of success
to top a sunny work week
filled with teenage grins
plan for our future
money’s tight, love is tighter
let’s let loose the strings
all of my children
wrapped in a challenging pose
namaste, my soul
Climate Change
winter thaw takes us
on a short sleeved city walk
but God, save this earth
Interaction
list to last the week
highest group gets me the gold
held accountable
all papers graded
impossible standards met
you can’t challenge me
i will surpass you
snarky remarks tucked within
so you can’t see me
’cause i’m a winner
downtrodden made me stronger
in the end, you’ll see
Shakespeare’s sonnets sing
across these four centuries
hear them sing along
alas, their voices
really bring us together
let us listen. Well.
Temporary Temptation
to witness firsthand
how beauty manipulates
turns day into night
to accept my fate
i must turn the other cheek
and kill with kindness
i’ll never woo them
with the same sneaky tactics
beauty’s lost to me
her heart will turn black
before her scent leaves their back
only then they’ll know
beauty’s lease is short
but sorrow lasts forever
in a broken heart
Doors
absenteeism
shuffles in a class bully
to begin my day
meeting turned sour
by news of favorite students
choosing other schools
(but i don’t blame them
after my reception here
and structure-less rules)
lunch: a cruel email
brings sixty minutes on hold
all for eight digits
if i had those numbers
for what i should earn each day
this wouldn’t matter
dean’s accusation
ends my locked-door afternoon
loss, theft, and questions
at home, door swings wide
my baby with arms open
smile bright as birth
we draw skating paths
multicolored chalk, sunsets
stress melts into love
A Dream Unrealized
Modeled after “Harlem” by Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream unrealized?
Does it disappear
like the morning mist?
Or wallow in sorrow
like a lover unkissed?
Does it bubble up
like a blister from a burn?
Or fall to ashes
like a loved one in an urn?
Maybe it just weeps
like a lost child.
Or does it run wild?
Super Sunday
icy wonderland
perfect for dolls and yoga
warm inside Sunday
wrapped up for movies
stovetop cinnamon popcorn
cuddles all around
this is what love is
the everyday joys measured
with quiet moments
Sonnet for Equality
Modeled after “Sonnet XVIII” by William Shakespeare
Sonnet for Equality
Shall I compare you to a summer’s dream?
You are permanent in the public’s view
In this new world things can sometimes seem
As fair as fair can be if they ask you
But we all know that you don’t always shine
As bright as King summoned under His light
And with the devil, time oft stays behind
And souls oft forget to fight the good fight
Your absence makes a death toll hard to bear
When those in charge can only summon hate
Yet I know deep down you will always care
For humans who would like to change their fate
Equality, I ask for sweet returns
Into hearts seeking solace for their burns
Sobriety is Counted Sweetest
Modeled after “Success is Counted Sweetest” by Emily Dickinson
Sobriety is counted sweetest
by those who never drink
to never know that poison
would allow you always think
Not one of all the drinkers
would admit that this is true
The devil’s tongue inside the drink
is what gives them joy anew
But if you’ve saved your soul
and avoided all the bars
You’ll have a peaceful life
and not toast your soul to stars
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