Poetry & Performance

• Maya reading at Center for Race and Gender: Catalyzing Knowledge 

 

The Day After Tomorrow

Elections equal no hope status quo in my history
history of stolen elections
and intimidations
forced votes
short term delights for long term of empty promises

what does it even mean to hope for the future
lift the burden of clay water jugs
piled on your head
pushing down on your spine
crushing circulation
never resting to take a drink
carrying to a place that doesn’t exist on the map.

with that laundry list growing of needs
to change
needs to lift off

back pain sprinting down calves
back up between blades buried knots in shrug of shoulders
head barely lifts up to the sky anymore.

this is the hopelessness seeping in

another friends’ family separated
how does this happen?
man made war torn limitations
families hopes dashed behind the hyphen
left for dead on borders in deserts from disregarded altitudes
haunted by the nameless stories hang heavy
noose arteries clogged
reacting to another disappointment

on this night the night before
eyes smiling watched everything
catching myself
open to the hoping
hoping to see something in between polls and
pundits
still cautious but heart unbolted a crack to see some transformation
multi hued
this worldly rainbow man I see some of my own reflection in
recognizes the burdens of the past
reflects back our responsibility
his love for a statuesque reflection
la michelle
community organizer on T-shirts
with his postage stamp face
replace scar face and RIP
on young brown and black kids in my neighborhood

I still hesitant to put faith towards politricks

on this night before
I can’t sleep
I want to experience each tick tock
and record the minutes with my tape recorder eyes
what it feels like
to hope like a wise young soul
faith in change
release some of that burden dragging gaze down clogging hopes for the future
dignity in the struggle
getting a piece of peace for once

on this night the night has finally come
friends gather in the community that gave us space to discover
hopeful, confident even
hugging people I barely know
marking the moment in love
in the darkness behind the wonder
anything could still go wrong.
eruptions at each vote count.

then silence.
the screen that reports our destiny
fills with a dark seal
plain letters
unclear what is
or might be wrong
the talking heads and crawling headlines have ceased.

A scream.
A full body eruption.
slowly first then smatters and crowd catches fever.
He won?
Streams of tears and eyes and arms connect.
this moment shared with friends family and community witnesses.
we found hope today.
we cry and scream and watch family of four take over the white house.
our reflection up there.
will this mean candy will start to grow from trees?
will the struggling many, community organizers and conscious poets
automatically find more money in their accounts?
will lovers have the choice to commit or not to commit
no matter the shape of their bodies?
He speaks our name and
acknowledges the past and
invites us in his future.

Si se puede?
total release
joy in the streets
young black man says with cracking voice:
my president is
a black man.
my
president?

today we bask in the historical glow.
tomorrow we roll up our sleeves and take back our destiny

back to work.

©2008 Maya Chinchilla