You Take Her With You

They found out on the bus to the city
That Melody was gone

The girls sat in silence
As the bus pulled into the station
And the buildings above them
Seemed to block the sun
Rather than touch the sky

She had fallen asleep
And had not woken up
Something about an undiagnosed condition
Something about one in a million
Something among whispers
Among fictional reality

That was why Melody wasn't here
That was why she never made the bus that day

Mr. Flank was the only man on the bus
Besides the driver
And he knew
As all good teachers know
That this would need to be addressed

One of the girls had received the news on her cell phone
And it had spread up the bus to Mr. Flank
Who already knew
Because the principal had called his cell phone
Hoping to prevent the news from getting to the girls
So that they could at least enjoy their senior trip

But it was inevitable
The word was out
The trip was ruined
Senior year would not go out with a bang
But with a black hole

So Mr. Flank
English teacher
At a school strictly for young ladies
Who was alternately adored
And admired
Stood up
And addressed his girls

He said--

'Girls, I know about Melody.
I know you know about Melody.
I know you're devastated.
I know I'm devastated.
I know you feel that the trip is ruined.
I know you feel that it has to be ruined.
I know this might forever impact
How you think about your last few days
As young women in school.

I know you feel hopeless
I know you feel powerless
In the face of all this
But you're not

You are not powerless

You have the ability
To do something for Melody today

You have the ability
To find the tallest building you can
Go up to the top floor
And look down on the world
Like you're suspended
Between the possible and the impossible

And when you do that
You take Melody with you

Not in spirit
Not in religious terms
But in reality

With your eyes
With your experience
With your lives from this point on
You take her with you

Go frequent the most expensive stores you can find
Go flirt with college boys at a pub you're not supposed to be in
Go flagrantly disobey everything school has ever taught you
And when you do
You take her with you

And once you've done all that
Go pray for forgiveness in the cathedral
With the prettiest stained glass windows

Go on from this point
And live the fullest lives you can live
Date the most charming men
Buy the best shoes
Eat the best sushi
And when someone gives you the chance to go anywhere
You've never been before
You go

Because when you go
You take her with you

That's all I can ask of you
From this point on, girls

Go like you're going with someone
Who wants to take in every drop of life she can
Go like another girl's running inside you
And don't worry about what she's running to

Just go
And go nuts
If you have to

And when you go
You take her with you

Now, go'