Esperanza

For my volunteer abroad program, we had to find a creative way to share some of our reflections on our experience.  I'm by no means a poet, but I thought I'd share my finished product with you here to give you perhaps a better idea of some of my thoughts in regard to my work here...

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Sometimes it's overwhelming.

The poverty.
           The discrimination.
                       The inequality.
                                   The prejudices.
                                              The ignorance.

It seems universal.
              How to approach a monster so immense?

In the States it bears its teeth:
         Who deserves health care?
Who is worthy to enter the country?
                  For whom should we provide a good education?
   

The teeth are sharp and innumerable.

 

In Perú, its the claws that are poised and ready:
            Which race deserves basic rights?
                   Whom should be allowed to eat today?
      Who will be shut out from society altogether?
   

The claws are sharp and innumerable.

 

And the conversations about such topics
         are equally challenging
with estadounidenses and peruanos alike,

                    though in unique ways.

Sometimes its difficult to admit that we
        are wealthy in comparison to others,
        are biased toward people who look like us,
        are homophobic,
        are socialized to treat women as weak and unable, 
        are unfamiliar with how others live, work, think,
        are affected by the power of society's norms,
        are prejudiced in some way...
                                                       ...o un montón de maneras.


As a young, liberal student,
        who am I to approach the topic of social justice
                  with my fellow estadounidenses,
                            especially those my mayor?

As a young, volunteering extranjera,
        who am I to approach the topic of social justice
                   with la gente del Perú,
                            especially those my mayor?


But if not me, who?


The monster is immense, universal,
          capable of casting a looming cloud if we let it.
Its teeth are as sharp and innumerable as its claws.


But it is not invincible.
        The task at hand, not impossible.
For while the monster is universal,
        so too is the hope.


From the northernmost part of the States,
         to the southernmost part of Perú,
Passionate people join hands and raise voices 
         to say: ¡No más!
                We won´t let these injustices continue!


¡No más de la pobreza!

¡No más de la discriminación!

¡No más de las desigualdades!

¡No más de los prejuicios!

¡No más de la ignorancia!

Hope is universal.   

Hope is immense.

¡Sí, se puede!