disguised
They
Straight from birth
Clothed in heavy rags
That marked their skin
And the pungent odor of failure
Like scars on their bodies
The label of society
So dense and inevitable
Learning their first steps as toddlers
With weights chained to their feet
And their first word
Bursting with a heavy accent
Inescapable
Yet who is to say
That their rococo rhythm shouldn’t be?
That their weights aren’t truly their wings?
Can you simply not see me
Because of my disguise?
Blonde hair and shining green eyes
Tell me
Have I taken you by surprise?
No remnants of a thick accent
Or olive skin that you could surmise?
I was born
With a different ability
The ability to rise
But now I’ve realized
That without this skin
Everyone could see the sky
And I’ve showed you
That
In the blink of an eye
There’s no difference
Between you and I
I’ve served justice in disguise
And forever changed the way you think
About who can fly
They may not all have glittering eyes
Or be wealthy with the fruits of immediate knowledge
But there are some with the determination
And the will to spark a fire
When will you come to realize
That our resources aren’t to be advised?
Living life on what they could find
Yet their strength is not to be undermined
For when discoveries are finally made
It is us
Whom are praised
For our findings
This hindering label of latinos
That helps us grow