I wrote this poem for my daughter Kelly’s graduation from Bay Village High School. At the time, I was working as the Public Information Officer for the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (as I explain in the video) in inner city Cleveland and living in Bay Village, OH. Everyday was a lesson in a term that is being thrown around a lot these days, but wasn’t mentioned much 20 years ago: Income Inequality. My time at the housing authority enriched me more than any other job I have held, except maybe visiting schools all over the world.
This particular video was shot at the International School of Kuala Lumpur while Michael Salinger and I were visiting in the fall of 2012. I was reminded of the poem lately as I watch pictures of new graduates, hopeful and smiling, flash across my Facebook feed. Privileged young people with a responsibility to build bridges across the great and growing divide that is income inequality.
Good luck to you all!
You are an inspiration to me. Powerful poem beautifully delivered.
Hey Sara, I’m not able to view the video and I was wanting to use it in a project that im making about poetry. I was just wondering if you could send it in writing so I could use it?