[Poem] Yo Soy Gabriel
Yo Soy Gabriel
Written on Feb. 27, 2006
I have taken bits of emotions and cast them in to a literary style that is a tribute to one of my Chicano Manifesto's "I am Joaquin" by Rudolfo "Corky" Gonzales who died April 12, 2005. And my brother Corky knows I would never disrespect him.
Yo soy Gabriel
Assimilated and rejected, Chicano,
Segmented from others, and now targeted.
I am he, who does not belong here,
nor do I belong there.
I am a so-called "American"
yet I never see anyone who feels like myself on TV,
I am confused by media.
I am book smart middle class Latino who went to school in the barrio.
I became barrio smart kid, who became a college student,
Y todavia soy la misma persona que antes fui.
I push myself in to the future, trying to expand my thinking,
With false senses of prosperity,
In a new age dawning trying to turn the tide of oppression.
I am Che Guevara,
the highest level of human species,
A revolutionary,
His name, his image, A banner that I wear on my shirt.
a symbol of struggle, as I welcome death to obtain liberation.
Primero I was Zapata or Pancho Villa,
Then I was Che,
Then I was Cesar Chavez,
Revolutionaries of the Americas,
Combative manifestations of my rights,
Flags, which they fought under, were sacred ones to redeem humanity.
Yo soy La llorona
The weeping woman who cries the tears of the world,
for her children, mi gente, who are lost like myself,
transplants who forget about their mother.
I look at my brothers and sisters,
I am Mechista,
I join the struggle
Against the racist fascist people of this land,
ONE PERSON!
ONE VOTE!
FREE AZTLAN!
Nevertheless, the days of my kind are numbered.
Fading
Fading moments.
I am hamburgers, burritos, y tamales,
I am fried chicken, frijoles, chile y arroz,
I am horchata, jugos de jamica, smoothies y 7-11 slurpees.
MEChistAs, Journaleros y Raza carry my pride,
My mother carries my guilt
My soul I did not know how empty it was until someone filled it.
MY family, I fought my own causes for them.
I am 26,
A college student who rides the internet waves,
I live, I toil Y senito la vida,
I cry tears for the world to know the joys of power
I am brown, but when they see me, they see green
Money or a Green card,
I have lost the stability that others have created for me,
and then I die.
I am desmadre y despadre.
I am not anxiety, nor an ailment
I want to fight and I am not going away.
I am of the Mexika;
I am what took years to build, and moments to destroy.
My identity is still lost, where do I start to look for me?
How have things been going since I have been gone?
My people are still waiting, others against me.
Soy Gabriel,
Indigenous,
Mexicano,
Chicano,
Latino,
Americano,
Hispano,
I try to dismiss to others that I only speak Spanish,
or English, and now I know Nahua.
All languages which raza or gringos do not tolerate,
both are of my birthright.
I am Gabriel, soy Chicano.
For 500 years I have dwelt on this land,
And now I feel more in control as the fight and struggle wears on
A revival with North American Free trade
Loss of civil rights,
Attacks on affirmative action
social struggles and ideology soon changing
I continue to fight like a warrior, a guerrero,
YO ILUMINO. ...
Written on Feb. 27, 2006
I have taken bits of emotions and cast them in to a literary style that is a tribute to one of my Chicano Manifesto's "I am Joaquin" by Rudolfo "Corky" Gonzales who died April 12, 2005. And my brother Corky knows I would never disrespect him.
Yo soy Gabriel
Assimilated and rejected, Chicano,
Segmented from others, and now targeted.
I am he, who does not belong here,
nor do I belong there.
I am a so-called "American"
yet I never see anyone who feels like myself on TV,
I am confused by media.
I am book smart middle class Latino who went to school in the barrio.
I became barrio smart kid, who became a college student,
Y todavia soy la misma persona que antes fui.
I push myself in to the future, trying to expand my thinking,
With false senses of prosperity,
In a new age dawning trying to turn the tide of oppression.
I am Che Guevara,
the highest level of human species,
A revolutionary,
His name, his image, A banner that I wear on my shirt.
a symbol of struggle, as I welcome death to obtain liberation.
Primero I was Zapata or Pancho Villa,
Then I was Che,
Then I was Cesar Chavez,
Revolutionaries of the Americas,
Combative manifestations of my rights,
Flags, which they fought under, were sacred ones to redeem humanity.
Yo soy La llorona
The weeping woman who cries the tears of the world,
for her children, mi gente, who are lost like myself,
transplants who forget about their mother.
I look at my brothers and sisters,
I am Mechista,
I join the struggle
Against the racist fascist people of this land,
ONE PERSON!
ONE VOTE!
FREE AZTLAN!
Nevertheless, the days of my kind are numbered.
Fading
Fading moments.
I am hamburgers, burritos, y tamales,
I am fried chicken, frijoles, chile y arroz,
I am horchata, jugos de jamica, smoothies y 7-11 slurpees.
MEChistAs, Journaleros y Raza carry my pride,
My mother carries my guilt
My soul I did not know how empty it was until someone filled it.
MY family, I fought my own causes for them.
I am 26,
A college student who rides the internet waves,
I live, I toil Y senito la vida,
I cry tears for the world to know the joys of power
I am brown, but when they see me, they see green
Money or a Green card,
I have lost the stability that others have created for me,
and then I die.
I am desmadre y despadre.
I am not anxiety, nor an ailment
I want to fight and I am not going away.
I am of the Mexika;
I am what took years to build, and moments to destroy.
My identity is still lost, where do I start to look for me?
How have things been going since I have been gone?
My people are still waiting, others against me.
Soy Gabriel,
Indigenous,
Mexicano,
Chicano,
Latino,
Americano,
Hispano,
I try to dismiss to others that I only speak Spanish,
or English, and now I know Nahua.
All languages which raza or gringos do not tolerate,
both are of my birthright.
I am Gabriel, soy Chicano.
For 500 years I have dwelt on this land,
And now I feel more in control as the fight and struggle wears on
A revival with North American Free trade
Loss of civil rights,
Attacks on affirmative action
social struggles and ideology soon changing
I continue to fight like a warrior, a guerrero,
YO ILUMINO. ...