In our classroom this morning,
we came in to find a family no one knew.
They were shy,
a little frightened,
embarrassed.
A man and his wife, pretty far along with a baby
coming,
a baby
coming
two little kids
and a grandma.
They’d moved into our classroom during the night.
An iron bed
and some pasteboard boxes. That’s all they had.
They’d cleaned the room first, and arranged it,
making a private place for themselves.
“I’m on the look for a job,” the man said.
“The dust blew so mean last night
I thought to shelter my family here awhile.”
The two little kids turned their big eyes
from Miss Freeland
back to their father.
“I can’t have my wife sleeping in the cold truck,
not now. Not with the baby coming so soon.”
Miss Freeland said they could stay
as long as they wanted.
February 1935