Referendum Rhapsody

Friends, parents, readers
Lend me your ears, lend me your screens.
Lend me a minute of your time.
In fair Verona I lay my scene.

By now you have all heard
About the referendum
About our aging buildings
And how we need to mend them.

I could stay silent and just hope
And then my moment would be gone.
Instead I’m going to tell you
What I think you’re really voting on.

It’s not a roof. It is a promise.
It’s not a window. It’s a dream.
It’s not our buildings. It’s our future.
Things are more than what they seem.

It’s not a track. It is potential.
It’s not a stage. It is a song.
It’s not a playground. It’s a childhood.
It’s a choice we can’t get wrong.

I don’t live here in Verona
And I know it is a lot to ask.
Raising taxes and piling bills
On an overburdened middle class.

But if I could, I would vote yes
A million times. Oh, yes I would
For every teacher, tired and sweaty
Just trying to do some good.

I would vote yes for every student
I would beg my sweet Aunt Millie.
I’d vote yes for all 6 schools.
I’d vote yes for each Hillbilly.

So if you have pride in this great town
And you bleed maroon and white
Vote yes November 5.
Vote yes twice because it’s right.

Jennifer Kleinknecht has been the media specialist at H.B. Whitehorne Middle School since 2007. She writes about life as a school librarian on her blog, “The ‘Yes’ Librarian”.  (Photo by Myles Tan on Unsplash)