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)