Yasmeen
Dear Yasmeen,
Yasmeen, take notice,
as I notice you, and see you.
As I believe in God,
I see him shine through you,
and reaffirm my purpose as a teacher.
My dainty flower of a girl,
my five-year old Arabic beauty
with braids,
floats in every morning,
bundled up, like a New Yorker
in January:
her lavender coat
swallowing her up.
It is 60 degrees
in North Carolina,
in September.
She smiles at me knowingly
(not so knowingly),
and I remind her that she has responsibilities,
in and out of the classroom.
She is an important part of a family,
and community.
You will learn to read and write,
yes, but all the important lessons,
Yasmeen,
you will teach yourself.
I can only help you find the direction
for a little while.
Remember that,
long after you forgot who said it.
Believe in the heroine of yourself,
that no one ever doubted was there.
Never regret the little risks
you didn’t take.
There is too little time
and not enough life for that.
Yasmeen, be a free bird:
singing and living, and dancing
to the music of Leonard Skynyrd,
or whomever inspires you
to be the best version of yourself.
Let them share their life with you,
and learn to laugh deeply,
and unapologetically.
See yourself for all that you are.
Relish the journey to self-discovery.
Learn to love Yasmeen.
Sincerely,
Your Kindergarten teacher
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