why are you silent?
other than condemning
the heinous acts
you have done nothing
is it that you truly
do not care?
or is it that you feel
unaffected because your skin color
is a lighter shade?
the cries
of our brothers & sisters
have gone unheard
by your apathy
for far too long
and in this sea
of immense pain
I refuse to let
them drown
I am outraged
that you are not outraged
I am livid
by your choice of silence
I am disheartened
by your willful inaction
and I know
that you will never
understand why I shed
so many tears
that you will never
comprehend that I am
not ok
have you forgotten
that we are not a free people?
over 500 years ago
the Spaniards arrived
subjugating and decimating
our indigenous population
then white America
colonized us
destroying our agriculture
massacring our people
forcing thousands
of Puerto Rican women
into mass sterilization
wake up, Boricuas
we are not free!!
still I continue
to share my anger
and remind you that
regardless of the levels of
melanin in our bodies
we are NOT white
our very own people
are black, brown, olive skinned
and every beautiful shade in between
we have African lineage in our history
and that is a source of pride
period!!
that your heart does not ache
makes me pity you
for whether you acknowledge it
or not, they are our brothers & sisters
and I am honored to call them so
I have long known
the solitude of standing
by my convictions
when those around me
prefer to follow the
popular majority
and view me as different
resolute in my values
in what makes me human
I will continue on this path
crying
chanting
marching
volunteering
holding the hands
of my brothers & sisters
helping to heal
their hearts
supporting and uplifting
their communities
doing whatever is in my
power to make a positive
difference in their lives
and in this world
because this is
a WE movement
because love
does not abandon
because the word
family is often
deeper than blood lines
because they are
my brothers & sisters
