El Salvador

El Salvador:

By: Faith Perkins

In a place where teeth must be straight and white,

Lets not forget about the place where teeth are meant to be used,

Until they no longer can,

Because teeth are only meant for surviving,

In a place where clothes must be chic, and fashionable

Let’s not forget about the place where clothes are meant to protect,

Sawn together by tired hands, and little pieces of 50 cent string,

passed down through generations,

In a place where you must be skinny and tan,

Let’s not forget about the place where they only dream of being pale, and fat,

Because to be pale means no more laboring in the sun, drenching with unwiped sweat,

And to be fat means your stomach is swollen with luxurious foods,

Food they only see when they're picking, or serving,

In a place where everything must be sweet,

Lets not forget about the place where the sugar comes from,

Planted, nourished, grown, and picked in the heat,

Their hands blistered, worn and torn, but still they move on, for their families,

In a place where houses must be huge, and glistening,

Lets not forget about the place that's built in dirt,

Formed by mud, but still swept and dusted

Because in this place houses are not bought they’re made,

And they’re cherished, and they’re praised,

In a place that’s striving,

Providing proper education, safety, and stability,

Let’s not forget about the place that’s bleeding,

With no education, no safety, no locks or keys,

And no one to save them, from being killed, raped, or beaten, but still they move on,

They move on,  in hopes of being free,

Like us, like me,

In a place that is taught to love,

Let’s not forget about the place that knows true love,

Love that has survived wars, gangs, poverty, and hunger,

Love that is spilled out of their hearts and straight into me,

Because they have nothing else to give,

And even though they have nothing,

They still give

They give,

while we take

And we take

And we take

Because we are free