The school year is over, and all of Mr. Ward's students have spoken. So what's left to do? Well, there's always next year. See, Mai Tren is new to this school and he's having a tough time fitting in—until he hears the kids from Mr. Ward's class read their poems, that is:
I look around this class, with Black kids, Latinos, Jews, and Italians, and I wonder how I'm ever supposed to connect with any of them.
But then we had an assembly yesterday with all these kids reading poetry. They seemed to get along with each other, almost like a family. They said it was the poems that brought them together. It can't be that simple, can it?
Their teacher is supposed to be doing poetry again next year. Maybe I'll get his class. Who knows? I can think of worse things. (78.4-6)
Basically, this ending is all about hope for the future. Open Mike Fridays have been a success and Mr. Ward isn't going to stop them. Instead he's going to keep this love and tolerance train going for another year, helping another class of students connect with themselves and each other. Aw.