Cages

I know why the caged kid cries. 

You would too if you only knew

Tell me, when was the last time you saw the skies?

The purity of white in the sea of blue

That is what’s above your head

But above the child’s is dread.

 

Walls of wire, cold hard floors

A frigid blanket on the child

A body covered in sores

The joy and simplicity of childhood defiled

“It is so cold. I was shaking so hard”

“Suck it up” responds the guard.

 

A missing mother, age forty-five

She promised her child safety in a new land

“We will be trapped upon arrival, but at least we will be alive”

That was the last time she held her child’s hand

It’s been two years and they are still separated,

Because here, their dignity and life are hated.

 

People are sick, people are dying

Hysterectomies are being forced

Yet the government says they are all lying

Why is pro-life here not enforced?

You care more about the unborn than you do

Anyone who doesn’t look like you. 

 

I know why the caged kid cries.

You would too if this was you

The American dream, just like hope, dies

Another life lost at the hands of the red, white, and blue

How unfortunate that their screams aren’t enough, nor their tears

You demand their life for fleeing what would be your biggest fears.

 

But you didn’t care to see any of it.

You refused people the right to know.

You stole the cage demonstration you chunk of sh-t

But refuse to take the real ones down you racist joe

We asked you to hear their words and open your eyes

You have no heart and the caged kid still cries. 

 

Student Coalition for Immigration Advocacy visual cage demonstration was stolen and destroyed because we asked people to realize what they are voting for. If this doesn’t say volumes of what this school and country believe in, then what does. 

Odalis Gonzalez is a senior at Notre Dame and Associate Producer for Show Some Skin.

Show Some Skin is a student-run initiative committed to giving voice to unspoken narratives about identity and difference. Using the art of storytelling as a catalyst for positive social change across campus, we seek to make Notre Dame a more open and welcoming place for all. If you are interested in breaking the silence and getting involved with Show Some Skin, email s.someskin@gmail.com.