Kindergarten

Everything You Need to Know You Learned in Kindergarten

I remember a day when

I was volunteering in a kindergarten classroom

And little Johnny pulled me to the side

And I thought he was about to talk to me

About Power Rangers or roller coaster rides

But he looked me in my eyes and asked me

If Jail was a good place to be?

And I sit taken aback

Like I've just been smacked

By the color of my own skin

As I ask him why

Why does an innocent boy think of such things

And he tells me that it's because his dad is in jail

But he gets three meals a day and a place to sleep

And there are times when he goes to bed without food to eat

Little Johnny the continues his oration with the declaration that

His teachers have told him that

He'll be in jail one day too

Back in forth through the revolving door

Like him and his father before

And that he should just ignore

All the advice about reaching for the stars

And trying to soar

Because little black boys can't grow wings

They can only grow handcuffs and eulogies

Little Johnny told me that his teacher end it with this

That she told Little Johnny

To never expect your dad to come back through that door

Don't get your hopes up about crossing the graduation floor

But don't be surprised if you end up

In a 9x9 cell Crying from the pain

While marking the days left on the barred window pane

Little Johnny told me that he didn't understand what she meant

So he just looked down and nodded in agreement

But then he looked me in my eyes

And told me that he didn't want that

Then he started to cry

As his fear filed tears fall from his face

He tells me that he doesn't want to go to jail

He wants to go to space

He wants to save the world

He wants to make it a better place

And now I'm crying, remembering the times

When I was in his shoes

Hearing all of the hatred and the boos

Not knowing what to do

So I kneeled down and told him that

       We might not have wings

       But we sure do have rockets

      You have dreams, so chase them like stars and never stop

    You're gonna have people coming at you from every side

   Wanting your ambition to subside

Say no, Let it grow

Let me know that

You have plans to make and places you wanna go

Let em see, that you breathe

That you live, that you laugh

That you love

That you are not the all destroying flood

But the dove

Let them know, who you are

And who you will be

They see the color of your skin

But they don't see your greatness

So let them witness

Let them witness that you don't care about how much they hate you

Because you love yourself and I love you too

So little Johnny never forget what your teachers have taught you

Let it fuel you

Let it drive you to be better

Better than them, better than me, and better than yourself

And for the first time in a while Little Johnny interjects with

Why are you telling me all of this now?

And I tell him that because I was told all of this

When I was your age too

I lean in and tell him that

All the things I truly needed to know for life

I learned when I was in kindergarten

When I was I just like you