Seven inner-city seventh graders–
constituents of an educational system
struggling to maintain a tenuous grasp
on teachers, funds and hope–
are charged with building the tallest tower possible
out of the flimsiest scraps imaginable:
paper, straws and pipe cleaners–
the kinds of materials one might reasonably expect
to buckle under pressure.
Though the supervising adults
murmur words of caution–
advocating a careful, conservative approach–
the youth set their sights
on a loftier goal,
taking as their model
the highest-rising edifice
that scrapes the sky
above their corner of the world:
the U.S. Bank building
in downtown Los Angeles.
In a flurry of breathless ambition,
they set to work,
adhering components to one another
with tape and sheer will power
and contriving an impressive something
out of nothing–
proving that a structure is as strong
as the faith of its builders
in their ability to create.