Year of writing 85. Oakland Unified School District Offices

3/26/12

You cracked wood and linoleum
You faded signs, peeling tape
You hiding behind protocol
You dropout machine
You molotov cocktail breath
You corner rat shit
You prepackaged microwave nutrition
You bleach panacea

 I walked your cold concrete
corridors, dark wood on dark floor,
windows blacked lights flickering,
 for the last time today.

You Hieronymus Bosch
You pastel layoff notices
You cut libraries
You cut nurse
You cut Art
You cut Music
You cut Shop
You elevated test scores

I heard their voices in the walls
from then and now and will be.
they sang songs of burning,
they whispered ash and dust.

You Frank Oz
You Clint Eastwood
You Rickey Henderson
You Gary Payton
You Huey P. Newton
You Gertrude Stein
You Julia Morgan
You Jack London

I walked through the frosted glass door
into the sunlight of 2nd street,
my feet sank slow into the sidewalk
I pulled a wagon of memories behind me.

You young poets
You dream living
You community minded
You hand extended
You passionate learning
You future guarding
You graduating
You purpose given