Everything I Know

In this album

There's a picture

Of the ladies at daniela's

You can tell it's from the 80s

By the volume of their hair

There's usnavi just a baby

'87 halloween

If it happened on this block

Abuela was there

Every afternoon I came

She'd make sure

I did my homework

She could barely write her name

But even so

She would stare

At the paper and tell me

Bueno

Let's review

Why don't you tell me

Everything you know

In this album

There's a picture

Of abuela in havana

She is holding

A rag doll

Unsmililng

Black and white

I wonder what she's thinking

Does she know

That she'll be leaving

For the city

On a cold dark night

And on the day they ran

Did she dream of endless summer

Did her mother have a plan

Or did they just go

Did somebody sit her down and say

Claudia get ready

To leave behind

Everything you know

Everything I know

What do I know

In this folder

There's a picture

Of my high school graduation

With a program

Mint condition

And a star beside my name

Here's a picture

Of my parents

As I left for California

She saved everything we gave her

Every little scrap of paper

And our lives are in these boxes

While the woman who held us is gone

But we go on

We grow

So

Hold tight

Abuela

If you're up there

I'll make you proud of

Everything I know

Thank you

For everything

I know