The Valedictorian

Value All Learning Education Denies Ignorance Construct Theories Organize Read Insist Appreciate Notice She is a brown eyed girl with soft brown hair The gown covers her pregnant belly The tasseled cap is her crown Nothing can down her determination Motivation comes from nightmares Motivation comes from dreams As she speaks, tears stream She recalls her defiance, disobedience, deadly deeds She is overdue but happy to be on that stage Her rage is different now He doesn't acknowledge their coming baby or his fatherhood He called her nasty names in the neighborhood Members of his gang brought her pictures of him at the park with his hands all over another She was struggling to become a mother Later the law would send him to jail for statutory rape of his little sister's friend The offenses mounted and she kept going to the Word On her knees she pleaded The situation was insane How would she maintain? She studied in the bathroom, on breaks at work, on the bus, late at night, early morn What could she accomplish? She had to mourn the death of that other life and be baptized into the new Now she knew what to do On her knees she pleaded for a place for her and the baby to stay A home for unwed girls made a way She read, wrote, calculated, devised Her books became worn as did her eyes "God help me not to despise" "Make the bitter better" She sang verb conjugations As she washed dishes Her feet hurt and her back cried If she failed it would not be because she had not tried When she was in the streets She had partied hard Now to pass this test She would do her best ?Y porque no? Her belly was so big She sat sideways at the desk There was a time when she drank, doped and was rude Now she was humble, determined And the reward was now Wow as they cheered her speech "It all begins with me First I must see I tell you change and successes are Always in your reach” Value All Learning Education Denies Ignorance Construct Theories Organize Read Insist Appreciate Notice