Submit your work, meet writers and drop the ads. Become a member
Carlo C Gomez Aug 2023
~
Saturn Jupiter Mars,
three blind mice running
up the clock to find freedom.

starlight stairs in abyss,
cities of the interior ring
carry a dangerous cargo: citizens.

t-minus one/this is fear

I am no astronaut,
I'm a refugee, bleeding hands pressed
tight to the barbed-wired fence.

we play charades from the window,
lunar phases keening
in the tender light of these infant wars.

t-minus one/this is fear

farewell threshold on laudanum,
the grifted gift of the Joe Blakes
painted from memory.

the far off observation
telescoping my fear, leading me
to believe I'm hiding in plain view.
~
Purcy Flaherty Jun 2021
My mother would often suggest I sleep on it.
Presumably mulling over all the possible outcomes whilst dreaming.

We were raised with anxiety, my mother was a live wire; adrenaline primed our hearts to avoid judgment, or catastrophe in an uncertain future.

At this very moment I am  living in the now, and in love with all living things, no-longer afraid; no longer clinging to the illusion of control, in an uncertain future.
The wondering spirit, travellers, settlers, settling down, roots
DElizabeth May 2021
There are cracks in the mask
because there are cracks in the foundation.

Hazy,
what was it all like before we divvied our nation?

Mother's and children
helpless in separation.

Give me the good news
when all I see is complication.

Who decided what's ours isn't theirs?

Crossing, drowning, they're running out of flares.
Melody Mann Mar 2021
oh precious flower,
we marvel at how you uprooted yourself in pursuit of a healthier home,
not only did you sow your seeds in foreign soil,
you defied the seasons to tend to their every need till they flourished into the blossoms we regard today.
your discomfort is now their triumph.
their victory reigns as a testament to your sacrifice.
A daughter of Punjabi immigrants, my triumph is testament to my grandmother who came to this country and raised a family. This is a testament to my mother who navigated a system unknown to provide me the foundation I stand on today. This is a testament to a sister who stood in as a mother on nights our mother was working away. This is to the women who made me who I am today. Happy National Woman's Month, may we respect the women in our life who contribute to our society and upbringing.
Francie Lynch Nov 2020
"Mr. Biden, tear down this wall," pled Juan.
Tear it down before the Republican lunatics make it a monument, or worse, a shrine to their messianic buffoon.
Sirad Jul 2020
I imagine you at my age
Younger, stronger and ambitious
You literally cracked your spine
Once healed, cracked again by soil foreign  
That bore you no fruit
But fruit were born from the womb
Of the love of your life

I imagine you had it all
But poverty was placed between your eyes
Tried to go back home
Catch the dream you once had
Build a home your children could inherit
But all they wanted, was to snuggle in your strength
Listen to a strong heartbeat
Reading them nursery rhymes

Tears begin to flood my vision
When I realise, your life
Is mirror to my own
I inherited recycled dreams and hope
From a land that bore me no fruit
When all I wanted, was to inherit extra time with you
Snuggle in your strength
And listen to lullabies
Doy A Jul 2020
--
There are so many words to describe me,
none of them is B.A.M.E.
I've got a foreign name, exotic.
Try to read it before you modify it.

How long have I lived in the UK because
my English is so good, where did I learn it?
My accent is American, it's confusing.
or my accent is too Filipino, quite embarrassing.
How can we come from so far
and be so fluent-- so bizzarre.

My rice cooker is an enigma,
more so the amount of rice I eat, huh?
My spoon and fork don't make any sense to you
But your table knife achieves nothing for me, too.

Why do we dye our perfect black hair?
why do we want our skin to be fair--
why don't we just embrace our God-given tan?
Your president seems like a smart man
Fighting your country's drug war like no one else can
Lastly, "are you a Manny Pacquiao fan?"

It's quite difficult to be a P.O.C.
in a world that doesn't understand our P.O.V.
Why we've immigrated and not always assimilated
Why we've flown thousand of miles away from home
Only to stick with our own
but sometimes there is just some comfort
in not having to explain the way we are
or who we are
and why we are
the persons we are
without having to feel subpar.
Jo Apr 2020
my parents
the humans who have shaped me
who have cared for me
who have loved me endlessly

they left their homes for me
they left their parents for me
they left the only place they knew for me

oh how it breaks my heart
to even fathom the thought of having to do  that  
to think about all the courage and bravery they had to put on
to have to come to a different country all on their own

for the sake of themselves
for the sake of their families
for the sake of their future family
oh how sad, that they didn’t have a choice
Ciel Oct 2019
I salute all the parents who sacrificed everything
to ensure a better life for their kids.
I feel for the kids that are constantly told they do not belong.
I celebrate the courage of the families who sought a new beginning.
I stand behind the immigrants, and the refugees.
Behind those who were brave enough to make a choice
and those who did not have one.
I stand by the kids who fight for a better future;
Those who claim a country that refuses to recognize them;
Those who are told to go back to a place they do not know.
I stand by those condemned for wanting to be alive.
I stand by those who dared to dream.
F A Pacelli Jun 2019
if you look back in time
whether near or far
you will see
we are all immigrants
it is a human need
to search for a better home
and be the change it needs
Next page