Poetry

Mi portóncito

My little gate that swings me across the same arc across the tile patio floor;

the cold metal gray bars pressed to my face, hanging on to

Mi portóncito- the one taking me home

I can hear the party still going 

starting in the kitchen,

spilling into the dining room 

and out onto the deck 

I hear the sound of fizzy champagne filling crystal glasses

you are a petty man.

not a leader,

merely a tyrant.

no worry for

the whiteless.

no concern for

the non-cisgender.

Say you're a president.

Not a king.

If that's true then what's happening in Venezuela? 

You removed a ruthless dictator, yes,

but you just replaced him with another.

They say it's for the civilians 

when they kidnap citizens. 

What they mean is 

"For civilians like us." 

They tell us to be civil 

Renee Good just wanted to go home

To her kids

6, 12, and 15

I've watched the video

I didn't want to

But I needed to see for myself if she really tried to run the agent over

She didn't

I was a room with the lights turned low,

Curtains drawn so no one could see

The cracks in the walls, the quiet ache,

The fear that I was too broken to be free.

I learned to build myself in layers,

Being a dreamer is hard, for all of us. All the authors, poets, musicians, and artists.

For those who aren’t any of these let me explain it for you.

i sit on the classroom floor.

the room is dark and cold.

i press my back against the wall.

the door is barricaded with a chair.

my teacher stands in front of it, as

Since I could eat, I have loved eating. Since I could open

my mouth and shriek for sustenance I have been in love with food.

And it has always loved me back -

tacos, grilled cheese, steak, sushi, matzo ball soup,

it takes me

my arms daring to surround you in the comfort of a hand sewn quilt

patched together with culture, stories, memories, love

it takes you

taking hold, not running; letting the tears fall down your face

I am speechless.

All the bullshitting and lies 

from our government.

OUR government.

They say that they are protecting us.

That's not what I see,

"Don't believe your eyes."