we LOVE our school

We spent our Valentine's Day evening with the school board

The plan: one person speak
say who we are in the allotted three minutes
then silently hand our carefully crafted letters
to each person
and leave

So, along with my co-workers,
we gave up our plans
crammed letters in envelopes
and ran out the door at the end
of a sugar filled day

We listened to stories...
disgruntled employees
classrooms without teachers
a curriculum in disarray
the chairman claimed,
"there is no strong research in middle-grade literacy" as defense
(he's wrong)

For our turn, we stood together
letters resting gently in our palms.
We laid them on the table.

May they speak truth to those who read them.
May they cause hearts to break for the children of this city.
May they right the wrongs.