The Revolution Is

Change for the world and America
And every single person too scared
To speak their mind for fear of losing their voice

The revolution is for people who go to sleep starving
Wondering when they'll have their next meal

The revolution is for all the "aliens" who are just
Trying to find a safer place to live
A place where they can walk outside
Without the fear of being shot

The revolution is for 18-year old boys
Whose families push them to enroll in the military
They say it'll make you a man

The revolution is for all teenagers who try to speak up
And try to find their own voice but they are
Silenced by the media, parents and politics

The revolution is for 11-13 year old girls who
Are followed, stalked and raped
But may never say so out loud

The revolution is for babies who lose their life
Before they even had a chance to fight for it

The revolution is for anyone who is in
An abusive relationship whether it be mental
Or physical - never lose hope, stand up for yourself
For you are not alone

The revolution is for all single parents who
Have to work day in and day out and never
Get to see their children and when they come home
There's not much there as they can barely afford
The one room apartment they are living in

The revolution is for gays and lesbians
And their rights which they fight for everyday
We're happily married, why can't they be

The revolution is for factory workers
Who work all day but might only get a few dollars
They work in filthy conditions to give us
Our designer clothes and they turn into
Nothing but a number for the company they work for

The revolution is for all people of color
Who might get glanced at warily
When they walk into a store

The revolution is for all girls and women
Who struggle everyday with thinking
They're not pretty enough
They can be the smartest people in their schools
But they think that doesn't matter

The revolution is for all boys and men
Who are thought to believe that being manly
Means treating a girl like nothing
That being manly is about violence and weapons
But they rise above it and for that they are teased

The revolution is for everyone
Everyone that believes in things such as hope
Freedom and an open mind

For everyone that is struggling just know
Things will get better because the revolution is coming
And we're all a part of it

The revolution is for everyone
Anyone can join whether you are fat, skinny,
Short, tall, bald or have a full head of hair,
Gay, lesbian, straight, Mexican, black or white

The revolution is about equality
The revolution is about change

© Leanne Rodriguez, 2011

Our People

Hidden history, hidden truths
of my people not heard for what
For who we are
for what we look like
for where we come from

History of people fighting for
what is right against oppression
against what is considered the norm

I remember the people who gathered
in the streets united in one voice
yelling into the  ears of those who
wanted to keep them down

I remember those who stayed
and stood their ground while they
were ridiculed and beaten

Those who gathered peacefully
were greeted with violence
We all should remember those
who had these struggles
and realize they are not done

Our struggles will not be ended
by an illegal war
by a material object we hold
so dear or a style of fashion

People speaking out together
United for all these people that fought
and still fight for our people
We must keep our people in our hearts

© Ruben Delgado, 2011

The Stage

Being told what to do 24/7
like a four year old, when I'm seventeen

Where is home

Bored all day with only 27 feet of land
to play on when their is about 10 kids
who want to play

Where is home

Not knowing who is right or who is wrong
When 200 people speak at the same time

Where is home

My own world, my own self being turned
into another character of my choice
Where when I want to speak, I can
and people have no choice but to listen
My home, my life, my world

Is the stage

Without the stage I'm nothing but one
out of on billion dots on this Earth
Without the stage I can't speak my mind
I can't hear the applause and I can't
hear my fellow comrades tell me how
wonderful I did

Without the stage
I am a dot
Without the stage
Where is home

© Genesis Cardenas, 2011

Music

My voice was not made for singing
My fingers not made for strumming
My ears were made for listening

The lyrics my best friend
The beat my lover
Worries end
The only thing I worry about is buffering

My homeland
Where would I be without this natural high
This lovely invasion of sound and poetry
This destroyer of boredom

Will I go mad when this invasion
This destroyer is corrupted by
Judgement and greed

© Francisca Vargas, 2011