Excerpt from a poem by Croilot Semexan, College Advisor/Program Coordinator, in honor of National Poetry Month:
Educational Alliance
We maybe Health and Fitness
but don’t get it twisted
We be arroz con habituela talking that Spanglish
on East 1st, 2nd, and 3rd street?
We be mac and cheese with Kool Aid popsicles
upfront and bold doing the
Patty Cake! Patty Cake!
We be the Great Wall of China
build right on Canal Street
bearing the children of broken English
We are ESOL on a brand new level
Jewish before and after Shabbat
Shalom brother! Shalom Sister!
We are
ART
We felt the hunger of a star before birth
sketched on the stomach of a goddess
crossing Delancey Street
painted on a canvas
looking like you and I
book smart/ street smart
Joined and tangled
tight and swift like ropes in-between jumping jacks
We are Pride Sites/Project Help
So brave,
we overcome the crack/cocaine
So strong,
we survive Hurricanes like Sandy
so tough,
you can feel the drive
channeling out of the lips of our youth
dying to make it to college
We are Youth Development
Where our teachers
family workers
administrators
CEO’s and staff
Understand you
because
they were
once
you
We have senior citizens
That will out dance you because
We are
THEATER
This is where our 2,3,4, and 5 year olds
will teach you how to sleep in peace
after 9-11
at a Head Start or
Early Head Start
We are
School of the Future
White, Black, Brown
Turquoise blues
You can smell the diversity
At 12 o’clock noon
Where hands are
Joined, tangled, in
Knotted
Tight ropes
So strong
That an allegiance is formed
At the
