Everything I Know

NINA
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