An April Day

Joseph Seamon Cotter Jr. 1895 – 1919

On such a day as this I think,

      On such as day as this,

When earth and sky and nature’s whole

      Are clad in April’s bliss;

And balmy zephyrs gently waft

      Upon your cheek a kiss;

Sufficient is it just to live

      On such a day as this.

Poetry for the People was a challenging class but super rewarding. I had a hard time putting my emotions on paper, speaking out loud, and writing in English as an immigrant. I started exploring poetry when I was 13 years old and really enjoyed it but stopped shortly after. So, when I found this class I signed up right away. This class was a great way to practice my English writing and to explore poetry. But most importantly, I was able to find my voice and to claim space in this vast and busy world. Thus, I left feeling confident and proud of myself.

In this portfolio I share work I wrote for class in which I mostly share personal information and history. As someone who is trying to find a space in the world, poetry helps me a lot. I am very proud of the poem where I tell the world I am undocumented. My legal status plays a big part in my life and messes with my mind, and it also brings a lot of shame. Thus, being able to share this with you all was empowering.

The hardest part was speaking at the open mic event we had.

I come from

First draft

I come from Mexico City

I come from Puerto Escondido

I come from Mexico

I come from Oakland

Second Draft

I come from violence

against women

My grandmother, my aunt, and my mother

all victims of abusive men

Yet, they taught me how to

love, live, and be free

Like you

First draft

Like you I feel the sun 

warming my soul

Like you I feel the wind

guiding my path

Like you I feel the rain

watering my roots

Like you I feel Earth

nurturing my live

Second draft

Like you I feel the Sun

warming my soul

Like you I feel the wind

guiding my path

Like you I feel the rain

watering my roots

Like you I feel the Earth

nourishing my live

Like you I feel nature

in every step of the way

I give you back

First draft

I give you back my pain.

My blessings are sacred

and you are only curse.

I am no longer scared,

my blessings guide my course.

Your moves are now scarce

and my blessings no longer coerce.

Second draft

I give you back the pain,

pain that has passed down to me

my grandmother passed it to her children

her children gave it to their children

some of these children can’t handle the pain

some turn to violence, others to drugs, but most

have passed it down to their children.

But not me, I was blessed with a soft heart.

A heart that feels everything.

This generational pain ends with me

Coming Out

First draft

I am undocumented

I live

I laugh

I love

I dream

I care

better than most

better than them.

I am a good person

I am a good citizen

I am a good human

But I am not what you have been told.

I sleep well now

I eat well now

I drink well now

I life a live now.

Second draft

I know how to love, live, and laugh

My parents taught me how to be a good human

Yet, you have believed all of those ugly lies

Lies that paint me to be a big bad immigrant

That I take jobs, that I don’t pay taxes, that I am a criminal

I have heard this lies for 20 years

not much has changed since then

and I am starting to believe  them

Shelter

First draft

you are

gutting me

cutting me

into

itty-bitty

pieces

YOU

chew me up

and

spit me out

over and over

you are like the abusive men

I grew up around

but I love you

I can't let go.

Second draft

Home

You have punched and insulted me,

spread awful lies about me,

denigrated my kind, and imprisoned me.

But I won’t let go

I can't leave

I am nothing without you

I am like a bird with clipped feathers.

I will let down so many if I do.

My elders who have sacrificed so much,

My peers who are paving the way,

and the young ones in my family

who are looking up to me

who need to be reminded that

the blood that runs in their veins

can make it!

So punch me again.