Forgotten
By Ryan Lugalia Hollon
An abandoned schoolhouse. Bricks made of eternal fire. Surrounded by sidewalks serene, though far too silent. Nearby elms watch in witness, impotent guardians, but lovely still. Upon entering the steel doors of time, I hear the echoes of children, long since gone. Their multitude of lessons – learned and unlearned – permeate empty halls. Behind each door, the discarded sanctuaries of teachers. What if our souls merged with theirs every time we read a book, or raised a question, or rose above our own foolishness? I stand now, at the front of a classroom. Millennia of educators course through my veins. A curriculum composed of eager minds, diverging lives, and dreams seeking flight. Every page the world turns is a conquering of death. Every time a poem is written, the reaper is put out to pasture. Those who choose to read tonight will surely live forever.
About The Author
Ryan Lugalia Hollon
Ryan Lugalia-Hollon, Ph.D, is the Program Director for Excel Beyond the Bell – San Antonio. He has worked in the youth development field for nearly twenty years. When not supporting young people, he enjoys writing poetry, living poetically, and spending time with the loved ones who inspire his words.
Re-sources
Re-Imagining Education
Empowering educators to take a deeper look at the stories told in our schools and to re-imagine them in transformative and
nurturing learning spaces.
Learning Opportunities
Classes, workshops, and lectures that help to empower people to re-imagine who they are and their place in the world.
CWP
The Chicago Wisdom Project offers a alternative to the industrial and corporate models of education that have become increasingly prevalent in the American educational landscape.