by Daniela Rojas-Trejo, 14
Unheard words that have been spoken out by hate
I and others have taken advantage of the dirt and the homes it has given us for years
Do we truly bleed different colors if our skin and teeth bare every hit and hug we get
We are different but our skin is made for love, for protection of the human
Human is someone, someone with fondness and themselves
We might not love all but to understand is all you need
To understand that you and I and the billions of people out there have been made to build off of what we were gifted but so far we have let us down
I am not you, you are not me, and that’s how it will always be
My thoughts are not yours and who we see when we die remains unsolved
But I understand that you are worthy of help
The drug crisis is not a problem against drugs, it is a crisis of people
Money makes you and the value of your organs
Blades and bullets reach faces that never reached their end
Broken families and kids who beg for peace
Was I born too late to see the fall of peace and rise of hate like smoke that fills our room?
Even when my organs have failed me, they continue to live for you
We are all sons, daughters, aunts, uncles—a soul with a body
Red Bank, New Jersey
Reader’s note: I just think everything about this piece is so powerful, it takes on so many issues and weaves them together like song lyrics. I was beyond moved when I read it!
Bridge Ink 