by Layla Simone Vadhan, 16
I am here to work
I am here to try
They reject her words
They neglect her cries
Please she whispers
I’m on your side
Crews
Clans
Borders
And teams
The building blocks for enemies
Grieving
Tears
Shattered dreams
We built this land
Our sweat
Our screams
Boom
Bang
Boom
The Founding Fathers
Were those on the field
If your hands were not dirty
Gnarled and peeled
If you sat and you wrote“Freedom to all.”
Ironic your sons shall unravel it all
A doctor handcuffed
A mother shot in the face
No poetic words can euphemize her trace
Another moment in history we will not erase
Her children left alone
Forever fearing unknown
Who will they blame once they are grown
Boom
Bang
Boom
Her thunderous doom
It was muzzled
Surpressed
Swept away with a broom
These kids come home to banging on doors
And so I must ask you
What if they were yours
What if you were her
Brushed under the bed
All that is left echoes through my head
Not on our watch
There was a reason she bled
Sleeves are rolled up
Strap into the boots
We step out the door and remember our roots
There was a reason she bled
Reported sorted
Then successfully thwarted
For the freedom of people
Those amendments broken deceitful
Let the voice of the people seep into your head
There was a reason she and so many others bled
But not for a border
So consider next time before you mindlessly mutter the words
Deport her
This poem is not for you but for her
Someone you’ve never known
Will carefully watch you from above like a drone
We can show her the light she deserves to be shone
Show her that we not just see her but believe her
Can you imagine?
The justice system reformed by believers
Over the border
May we set straight a new order
Let’s roll up our sleeves once more
Rebuckle our boots
Find the vines that connect our petals and roots
Build a bridge safe and strong
For I believe this to be a place where we all belong
With trust and reform
We will unlock the gates
And live up to the name
United States
Los Altos, California
This piece won HONORABLE MENTION in our 2026 Voice & Verse Writing Contest, poetry ages 15-18 category.
Judge’s Note: “Put Yourself in Someone Else’s Boots” allows itself to take up space and demand that its voice be heard. Using rhythm and power in each verse, the poem is invigorating for a reader and serves as a call to action.
Bridge Ink 