“John Muir Elementary” by Martha Silano

John Muir Elementary

When John Muir said Nature's peace will flow into you
as sunshine flows into trees, he could not have imagined

John Muir Elementary, non-descript brick surrounded
by asphalt, a playground where ropes dangle from poles

lacking tether balls. Could not have been thinking,
when he intoned All that the sun shines on is beautiful,

of the bark chips, the chain-link fence, the 20-minute
daily allotment of recess, the cafeteria ladies serving up

USDA surplus beef to the 75% who qualify for free lunch.
Oh, John! I’m sure you’d have an issue with the downer cows

they feed our nation’s youth, cows the district sometimes bury
in a far-off place. John! No grass, no dirt, though okay,

two California redwoods over by the fading hopscotch boards,
trees where my daughter plays hide-and-seek with Heaven

and Daejah, Camille and Cerrell — Camille like com’ere, Cerrell
like surreal, which is what it is when the principal struts outside

with her megaphone, tells us if this was an actual fire
we wouldn’t have burned, commending us for exiting quickly

from the library where we were deeply ensconced in The Wild Muir.
Come to think of it, John, I think you’d be pleased it bears your name.

Who knows? Your ghost might be cozying up to the backstop
and the blackboards, looking on as the playground monitor greets

the burka-ed, the braided, and the dreadlocked. It’s not real brick.
There’s no veggie or native plant garden, but if you show up

on Talent Night, Heritage Night, Math Night, or to the End-of-Year Potluck,
the kindergarteners will be on stage belting out “It’s a Wonderful World.”

They will hear you clapping from across the rainbow bridge,
because, like you said, We all flow from one fountain soul.

MARTHA SILANO

Martha Silano is a writer living with a diagnosis of ALS. Her most recent collection is Gravity Assist (Saturnalia Books, 2019). Martha’s poems have appeared in Poetry, Paris Review, American Poetry Review, and The Best American Poetry series, among others. Her website is available at marthasilano.net.

Headshot: Kelli Russell Agodon

Photo Credit: Staff