If I Told Them: A Portrait of a Modern Graduate

 

If I Told Them: A Portrait of a Modern Graduate

by Dave (inspired by Gertrude Stein)

If I told them, if I told them, would they listen.
Would they listen, would they stay, would they leave.
Freshman, would they know. Would they know a locker,
know a light, a Friday night. Would they know a hallway.

Would they. Would they scroll.
Would they know Algebra.
Would they swipe to it, swipe away, swipe to stay.
Would they know their name, a name,
their name on a screen. Would they laugh. Would they post.

If I told them, a cafeteria, a table.
A trend, a group, a first glance.
Would they see a first, a second,
a first glance, a second heart.
A flame, a snap, a streak, a heart.
Would they. Would they care.

 
Sophomore, would they learn. Would they dodge.
Would they dodge a ball, a text, a truth.
Would they hide, would they run.
Would they send it, delete it, send it again.
Would they write, write a test, write a note,
write in silence, write in code, would they.

 
If I told them, a promposal.
If I told them, a car, a ride, a parking lot.
Would they step. Would they step back.
Would they step forward, step forward again.
Would they learn a formula, a solution,
a chemistry of their own, of their own making.

 
If I told them, Junior, Senior.
Would they know the years. Would they count the days.
Would they wait, would they rush, would they turn.
A tassel. A cap. Would they scroll. Would they swipe.
Would they turn, would they turn again.

 
If I told them, a diploma.
Would they see it. Would they hold it.
Would they know the weight, the weight of a goodbye,
the weight of a first. Would they leave.
Would they take it, take the leaving,
take the knowing, take the turning,
take it all.

 
Would they know it was theirs.