by Ernie McCray
My heart weakens
when I see my city
seeking to make catastrophic reductions
in arts funding,
as I feel,
in my very being
that the arts
should be at the center
of all things
since from humankind’s beginning
the arts have been essential
to a human being’s
wellbeing,
a means of communicating emotions,
of bonding,
of surviving,
of adapting
to change
and there have been no changes
in our society
more devastating than
what’s taking place
in this very moment in time,
so, our city government
should direct their collective minds
to finding ways to keep the arts alive
and thriving
during these sad times,
evaluating and taking into consideration
how doing so
can drive growth in our economy,
creating jobs
and drawing us closer together
culturally and civically,
how it can, in our schools,
as I, as an educator, have seen
up close and personally,
for many years,
enhance academic success
and bridge creativity with
practical application.
So, I ask our mayor
and city council
to, as much as they can,
do their part
for the community,
as innovative-minded legislators
taking art to heart,
as such well thought-out investment in resources
would, of course, make our city
a more desirable
place in which
to live and work.
And that should be something
we all want
for what it’s worth.
