Before I was three

My mother brought me

To the land of the free

Where dreams grow on trees

And money trails lay at your feet

So you’re never hungry.

At least that’s what you believe

When your homeland

Offers you a 5 y.o beggar hugging

Your knees at dinnertime.

 

So let me ask you something

What is the USA?

 

Its being able to trace my ancestors

Back to the slaveships,

Its having to always have a strong grip

On mommys skirt when a cop walks by

Because I don’t know if he’ll grab her too.

Playing this tug of war with fear

And strength, because I should be strong for them

But then who will be strong for me?

 

It’s having a life script in my

Back pocket ready to embrace my starring

Role of lies when I’m asked why I don’t have a state ID

Or why I’m at a community school with Ivy Leaguecredentials.

 

The USAis a slander

Of all you people take our jobs, and

Your mother is a maid, on my back when I walk

Down the block.

NYC is deporting 45 people an hour

That’s:

45 pairs of eyes that won’t see a child grow into anadolescent

45 pairs of arms that won’t hug a brother or sister,

45 pairs of hands that won’t caress their daughters or helppick out a wedding dress.

 

These 9 digits wrap around my eyes

So everytime I blink I see

Opportunity walkingopposite of me,

Running away from my alien thoughts

Because apparently my mothers womb held me

On another planet.

 

I am not Ellis Island,

I am not Wall St,

I am more than social security

And you can not make me a statistic.

 

Your tongue and your guns creates borders,

Give Mexicotheir land back, give AZ their classes

And ill give you respect.

 

I’m lost in translation

And im not speaking language

I’m saying homeland security is the Matrix

And reforming is NEO.

Keeping families together is essential

Like breathing,

Humanity is the heartbeat of civilization but it’s beenirregular,

And ignorance walks hand in hand with ICE,

And this community walks hand in hand with hope.

 

We chain arms in solidarity for the family members you

Tear apart and ship away like cattle,

We chain arms because we are the 45 people

That you deem less important.

 

We are not Ellis Island.

We are not Wall St

We are more than Social Security,

 

And you can not make US statistics.