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by PNN staff
This is the story of three young girls
All inadvertantly seeking and believing in
Education
Assimilation
Repudiation
And recrimination
Myobe from west africa
Leticia from Southern Mexico
and
Lisa from southern california
Great students- all- drinking knowledge like water
They dreamed of books and words – numbers and places-
history and scholarship wafted through their brains- moments of learning were like
music and chocolate
To an unquenchable palate
They all heard the laughter –
Some knew… some didn’t
Myobe – it is time for you to join the rest of the family in the fields – you cannot go to
school anymore – her eyes stole away for dry tears –her mind wrapped around grain
and heat – survival and disappointment
She began to hear the laughter
Days turned into months – months into years
flys circled her parched lips –
and still she heard the laughter
the laughter emanating from mouths and hearts of other children not stealing time away
from struggle – and survival.. death and life
Leticia it is time you must help your mother at the jugo stand in el ciudad– you cannot
go to school anymore – there is no more time
It was always known
she only flirted with books and teachers – playgrounds and words-
this day was always known and yet
and yet…
her eyes opened and closed slowly trying to run back to the life before the sentence
was said – it was only a moment ago and yet it was forever
and then she heard the laughter
seasons and days – hours and years
and still she heard the laughter
IT was under her window in the morning – sailing through a smog filled sky in a so-
cal painting– giggles erupting into guffaws – unabridged – unweilding unstoppable
laughs of children who learned without end – who tasted the books and time – who
ate large feasts of history and snacked on words – who dreamt of futures filled with
more words and more time and more time…and
Lisa why are you late? You can’t be late again or you will be expelled
Her teachers hurled at her and then again
Lisa if you are absent another day I will mark you down
Lisa you can’t go to school anymore – you need to help me out
And the words didn’t register and the time wasn’t clear and the moment was never
spoken really but it was and Then she heard the laughter –
Of children not weighted with survival walking no running, to school to take part in
more…..
Education
Assimiliation
Repudiation and recrimination
And she wanted it so bad that she could not feel anything anymore except desire
Years became days and days became minutes and then suddenly –
the desire was changed…
responsibility for family over self felt right…
Phds were earned in poverty 101 – a liberal arts degree in survival, a Master’s
Degrees in pain a thesis in resistance until they no longer wanted…
Education
Assimilation
Repudiation
And recrimination
And only
Regeneration
And revelation
to community survival and..
identification
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