The New Cool Kids by Terry E. Carter 

Poem to honor Krystle Campbell and the work of CCSR student leaders in Medford MA.

The cool kids learn from being good. They’re filled with love for the neighborhood. They walk the ground where heroes stood, and build them shrines of stone and wood. They’re not punks or bullies. They’re not looking to scam. They will show you their truth at a poetry slam. They look for the chances to work hard and be great. They run through the doors, that say love and not hate. They got the memo that service matters. They won’t leave rooms in waste and tatters. They help the ones society batters. They help clean up the milk that splatters. They help to quiet the mean snapchatters. They seek to find the lost life scatters. They learned to live with sacrifice, where giving back is not a vice. Learning to vote and roll the dice, civic engagement is more than nice. Serving the needy, let’s say it twice… compassion and kindness are sugar and spice. C-C-S-R helps them to focus. It moves them in ways that create hope. They don’t do fake or hocus-pocus. They look to climb that higher slope. The cool kids lead an amazing move. They’ve got their own flavor, their own special groove. They push up the ceiling and reach for the sky. When others say “we can’t,” they just say “why?” They look to the rainbow for voices not heard. They listen intently to every word… culture, race, and language respected, intolerant viewpoints wisely rejected. They find role models along the way. Krystle Campbell comes to mind. Her passion for kin and community, showed them the value of being kind. Krystle’s abiding legacy brings new beauty to tragic ashes. She always fought for equity, in spite of bitter sparks and flashes. Krystle’s journey through Medford streets left indelible markers to see. Her gentleness and humble course, showed a worthy way to be. Her heart beat with such incredible might. She knew being kind topped being right. It helped her sleep peacefully, every night. It helped to keep her life’s purpose in sight. It helped her to never stray from the light. She never got frozen with fear or fright. In a world that’s filled with anger and blight, she kept her vision clear and bright. Krystle’s walk remains a beacon of courage and faith and humility. The love she shared with those she knew, speaks of beloved community. The cool kids learn from stories like hers. They’ve vowed to bless the neighborhood. Across the breadth of this Mystic city, they’re being great, by being good.