love given

the really smart boys
and girls
sat up
front
raising their hands
to every
question posed.
good breeding in most.
off they go to MIT,
to Harvard
and Yale,
assorted other
ivy league schools.
NYU, for the writers in
the group.
Northwestern
and Columbia.
I found
my home
in the community college
around the corner
with professors whose teaching
position
was their second job.
thirty bucks per credit.
i'd drive my beat up
dodge
with leaky brakes
and a cracked windshield
to night classes.
walking when
the wheels broke down.
but it's okay.
i'd change nothing.
the books are out there.
the world
is yours if you
want it. Every word
written is yours to read.
every
ounce of knowledge
awaits and besides,
it's more about the soul,
the heart.
the love
given, not taken.