Our world is

ordered rows                                                                                     

and shuffled thoughts

a stack of papers

crawling toward my window

greets me

Monday fresh

                  They tell me there is hope

 Point toward

somewhere else

slouch west like Tom Joad

our bellies full of promise                                                                  burning the edges of our

daydreams

                 They tell me there is hope

 I wonder

sometimes

I worry

sometimes

I love

sometimes

I stare at painted faces

glowing smart phone brilliant

like galaxies of flowers

supernovas

waiting to bloom

in blue plastic seats

patches of possibilities

waiting for the bell to ring

                 They tell me there is hope

 Each day is a crucible

extracting elements

reforging future

the iron hot summer

waiting like homework

we try to keep the fire lit

but there is beast

crouching outside

the schoolhouse

waiting to test

their metal

                    They tell me there is hope

 When this journey

meets the horizon

I hope they are prepared

for this new millennium

an unfamiliar world

where footsteps

signal competition

where they use these

things we teach

and wield them

                 They tell me there is hope

 I hope

they can face the world

and know