there is a stone bench
and community gardens
a pile of mulch
being surmounted
by small children
who are white.
they wear colorful rain boots
and lands end jackets.
they take nature walks
with their caregivers
and sing songs
about the seasons.
(or so i imagine)
on the other side
is a basketball court
the wind has blown
dead leaves & wrappers
along the edges.
there is a playground
and a tot lot too.
the kids who play here
are mostly brown and black
and not much older.
they shoot hoops,
chase each other,
race and skip rope,
sometimes fight a lot
using words incompatible
with their young selves.
a small girl follows me
around, huddles up
and takes my hand in hers.
or a small boy asks me
to tie his shoes and
zip his jacket.
sometimes children
from both sides
talk to each other
across the fence.
i like that.
they seem
not so separate
then.
*****
I wrote a version of this over a month ago and have tinkered with it a few times since. I'm not quite satisfied with the piece yet. It's an observation of a real place. Perhaps this small scene is a sort of microcosm of the larger problem of segregation in Milwaukee.
I LOVE that you have captured this. Do you know Jacqueline Woodson? She writes for children and teens. Your observations here remind me of her picture book The Other Side (http://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/category/books-ive-written/picture-books/) We've come so far and not far enough. The comments of Sean Spicer regarding Hitler and the Holocaust remind me of much more education the people of the United States need. It feels the time is ripe. It feels like a unique opportunity to have the worlds attention and be able to raise awareness; elevate some issues. BTW, did you see my email regarding the Evicted book group on Daily Action?
ReplyDeleteYou're the second friend who has recently asked me about Jacqueline Woodson. I've heard of her and seen her books at schools and libraries where I've worked but haven't read any of them. I'm going to definitely put the title you mentioned on my TBR so I don't forget. Ah, yes...the problem with forgetting history - it's embarrassing. You point out a silver lining - perhaps these public "blunders" will help raise awareness on important issues. I did see your email - thanks! I haven't gotten around to watching the interview yet. I was excited that Evicted won the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction and The Underground Railroad for fiction. Both are important books!
DeleteYes! I was also very excited to see that both Evicted and Underground Railroad wind Pulitzers. :-)
ReplyDeleteLet me know what you think of any Jacqueline Woodson you read. The title I gave is a quick little picture book.
xo