The Land of Opportunity
In October 2019, my poem “The Land of Opportunity” was published by Little Rose Magazine. The three stanzas are my reflections on people I saw as a child–in Washington, DC, Baltimore, and San Diego, respectively. While these people wouldn’t remember me, their faces stand out in my memory. Because the magazine seems to have closed, I have posted the poem below. I hope it can help remind readers to be thankful for what they have and inspire them to help others when possible.
His hopeless eyes plead with mine
From the dirt beside the sidewalk
Worldly possessions fill a garbage bag
Home: a cardboard mess, a heat grate
Her tiny eyes gaze into passing cars
Violence defines her neighborhood
Bored on the doorstep of low-rent housing
But to explore today is to jeopardize tomorrow
His tired eyes seek freedom from this reality
An unwashed, unshaven face,
A paper cup and sign:
Why lie? I need money for beer.
Image courtesy of Pedro Ribeiro Simões (Flickr) (Creative Commons Attribution-2.0 Generic)