A Smiling Face
It was around the holidays
and I was flipping through the channels,
until I spotted a familiar face.
It was Samantha Bee hosting her Christmas comedy special
bringing awareness to a harsh reality.
Children in cages at the border,
refugees risking their lives to seek asylum,
a nation divided,
fingers pointing in every direction except at ourselves,
and yet, it was a tale of hope.
She spoke to a woman named Elizabeth Cavazos,
who volunteers her time and energy
towards helping refugees recently arriving in America.
Dignity hanging by a string, they walk into the bus station
and are greeted by her smiling face,
welcoming them with open arms.
Such a simple act of kindness
melted my heart like a Dali painting.
It was then that I decided I wanted to be a social worker
who will devote her career to helping immigrants and refugees.
Like Elizabeth, I want to be a safe haven
even if it means I will be a fish swimming upstream.
Someday soon, I will make my way to the border,
just like my ancestors made their way to America
from the sandy shores of Puerto Rico.
With my head held high
and using the language I thought I’d long forgotten,
I will find my voice.
I will make my grandmother proud.
No one should suffer alone
in a society where we crave human connection.
Somewhere along the line though,
we’ve become desensitized.
A wall has been built,
and I will help tear it down.