Page 51 - My Creative Writing Portfolio

51

RACING HUMANS

Have you heard of humans racing?
Not in stadiums,
Not for trophies or medals,
But to keep up with trends,
Or simply to survive.

Both big and small are racing.
The big—for power, status, money—
Create whirlpools
That pull the small,
Forcing them to move
Like tools,
Like shadows of someone else’s ambition.

Every day I see youthful migrants
Arriving with dreams of modern life,
Only to find themselves
Caught in the swirl
Of menial labor, insecurity, and fear.

Fear of deportation,
Fear of losing residency,
Fear of eviction,
Fear that hovers
Above their heads
Like a dark cloud
Always ready to pour.

All the glitter of the modern world—
Big houses, spotless streets,
Fancy cars, shining lights—
Calls to them
Like moths to the flame.

Migrants are these butterflies.
They flutter toward the light,
Unaware it may burn them,
Yet they brighten
The world they seek to join.