Everything I Know

NINA
 In this album, there's a picture
 Of the ladies at Daniela's
 You can tell it's from the 80s by the volume of their hair
 There's Usnavi, just a baby
 '87, Halloween
 If it happened on this block
 Abuela was there
 Every afternoon I came
 She'd make sure I did my homework
 She could barely write her name
 But even so
 She would stare at the paper and tell me,
 "Bueno,
 Let's review.
 Why don't you tell me everything you know?"
 In this album there's a picture
 Of Abuela in Havana
 She is holding a rag doll
 Unsmililng, black and white
 I wonder what she's thinking
 Does she know that she'll be leaving
 For the city on a cold dark night?
 And on the day they ran
 Did she dream of endless summer?
 Did her mother have a plan?
 Or did they just go?
 Did somebody sit her down and say,
 "Claudia, get ready,
 To leave behind everything you know."
 Everything I know
 What do I know?
 In this folder there's a picture
 Of my high school graduation
 With a program, mint condition
 And a star beside my name
 Here's a picture of my parents
 As I left for California
 She saved everything we gave her
 Every little scrap of paper
 And our lives are in these boxes
 While the woman who held us is gone
 But we go on, we grow
 So
 Hold tight, Abuela, if you're up there
 I'll make you proud of everything I know
 Thank you, for everything I know