an open letter to director juliano,

to the man who is empathetic, charismatic, beloved.

 

to the man who asks you how you are doing

and will sit and listen to you talk for thirty minutes,

even if he has other things to do -

especially if he has other things to do. 

 

to the man who will sit on the cold ground

surrounded by 80 high school students,

and listen to their grievances.

 

to the man who we didn’t think could replace mrs. p.

 

to the man who spends his own money

to make sure we don’t go hungry.

 

to the man who is kind to us,

because he knows the world isn’t.

 

to the man who is so proud of our accomplishments

that when he speaks of them,

he cries for us.

 

to the man who really knows how to give a pep talk.

 

to the man who, if given half a chance,

will talk of us for an hour about

forgiveness, and being kind to those who aren’t kind to us.

 

to the man who teaches us that being a musician

is more than playing notes.

 

to the man that says things like

“gosh darn it juliano, you and the horse you rode in on”

to make us laugh in the middle of a lesson.

 

to the man who, when offered 80 bitterly disappointed students,

chose to carve his own happiness out of his chest

and hold it out for us.

 

to director juliano,

we love you.