2 Poems

Elizabeth Mendez

Blind
I cannot comprehend the depths of sorrow
Because it would swallow me whole
I constructed a wall to protect myself
A long time ago

The world is too evil
For my small hands and heart to hold
I can only start with one act of kindness
Removing a grain of sand from a heavy load

Perhaps I am blinded by privilege
Having only known the safety of my middle-class home
But I cannot justify weapons
I do not want them to be sold

If you argue that you need them for protection
You are digging yourself a hole
When one person is armed, it creates fear
The seed is planted and it only grows

Learn to release your fear in words
Because words are powerful, and not senseless
Unlike the acts of violence that never seem to end
Unlike the broken spirits I cannot mend

Unspoken pain bubbles up in hateful actions
Untreated disorders control the mind
Killing and prejudice make a nation blind
Please know that you are loved all of the time

Warning Sign
Slow steps…
my breath
is growing heavier each day.

“Hold on,
Stay strong”
are not enough to win this fight.

I look down and you’re still not there.

What ever happened to,
“I’ll always be with you,”
and “we’ll grow old just fine?”

What ever happened to
Promises I made to you?
I wanted you to shine…
If only there was a warning sign.

Featured Artwork:
Bain News Service. “M. Sieveking’s hands”. Wikimedia, December 2016, https://commons.wikimedia.org.