What I Read First

Click to read related post,  FIRST READERS

by Robin W. Holland

            

With thanks to Billy Collins

What I read first is

a blur of blonde curly hair

on Alice’s head and her brother

Jerry pointing at Dad
who was always mowing the lawn

in Sunday-go-to-Church clothes

at the Mom who smiled

in her heels

and crisp blouse. 

That was at school

where I didn’t get the new books--

Dick and Jane.

I didn’t know

my books were outdated.

I didn’t know

racism was why my

used-to-be-white-

now- predominantly black school

had not gotten the books.

All I knew was that I loved reading and

these were the books we were given. 

I did know that no one looked

like me in the books

No one had long dark braids

and heavy saddle shoes

or a gap in her protruding teeth.

No one looked like my dad

with his smooth olive skin and mustache,

slide rule and tape measure ever-ready.

No one look like my mom

in sandals and shorts

and no apron.

And my friends were not

In the books

In the re-released versions of the originals

sold as novelties

There is an African American family.

They were not

in the neighborhood

when I first read.

These children who were

In the books were always going

 and coming

 and jumping

 and looking.

This is what I read first

 at school

At home

there were shelves

of Golden Books

and magazines--

Humpty Dumpty and

Children’s Digest,

poetry and nursery rhymes.

And other books with  people 
who looked

like me

and did important things

and were what I could

become

or so I was told

at home

in what I read first.