UK National Poetry Day: From The Projects to Freedom

I wrote this when I was a teenager:

From The Projects to Freedom

It was a under a heavy sky,
That he looked up
With endless brown eyes
And from his mouth spilt forth
Poetic worlds full of hopeful promises.

And, it was there under that sheltering sky
That I found
Solace and comfort,
Knew no pain.
There within the glow
That exuded off
The brownness of his skin,
Magnified by the heat
In the air
And tripled by the warmth
Of his scent;
Of coconuts and blue oceans,
Of Caribbean, warm island breezes
Fused with incense and musk.

There within the magnitude
Of his intellectual expressions
I stood mute.
Taken aback by
The impossibleness
Of his righteous beauty.

And, it was then that I knew.

Freedom lay past him,
Just yonder
In that endless, heavy, blue sky.
All that he was;
Was lust multiplied,
Tying me down,
Claiming me his property,
With promises of his name
And his progeny.

But I knew that the only guarantee
Was one of poverty
And so spreading my metaphorical wings
Like some ethereal, kamikaze butterfly,
I soared.

Off rooftops,
Past projects,
Leaving my tormentors behind.
Bounding off structures
Like a superhero,
Superwoman in disguise.
I tasted freedom
And was inclined never to be victimized.

Author

Spread the love

More Articles for You

Frida Kahlo As An Iconic Disability Advocate

PBS is once again featuring Frida Kahlo in a new three part documentary series, airing now that seeks to to …

Spread the love

The Unknown History of the Spanish Inquisition & Witchcraft Trials in Puerto Rico

Spain’s centuries-long witch hunt killed 700 women – in the region. Estimates indicate that roughly 30,000–60,000 people were executed during …

Spread the love

Justin Torres’ Blackouts

One of my favorite author interviews ever. Right before I departed from my publicity desk Hachette Book Group, I was …

Spread the love

Valeria Aloe on Her Barrier-Breaking Book “Uncolonized Latinas”

If you are not following Valerie Aloe or have not read her book Uncolonized Latinas: Transforming Our Mindsets And Rising …

Spread the love
— Featured —

Portuguese Ethnicity in Puerto Rico

According to a chronology, made available by the Library of Congress, in 1593, “Portuguese soldiers, sent from Lisbon by order …

Spread the love

The Italian at a Glance

Becoming Italian Back in December 2020, I started a new research project on Instagram, @ItalianAtAGlance to curate and share some …

Spread the love