Thirteen Statues
I found a flock of hardy souls
So stately near a school
I read their names, admired their goals
I wondered about their rule
The presidents, the warriors
All claiming to love the masses
The heroes brave crossing barriers
The Spanish children in their classes
Benito Juarez Academy
A Chicago Public School
Return to a state of normality
Secure in your vestibule
The teens I met in classrooms so full
Polite and friendly and proud
Beautiful hope for the future, they pull
My heart from the statue crowd
Mother Goose Smiles 