Giants of the Earth

By Sara Diaz

In this world, I feel small.

As small as the dust you breathe.

The leaves and vines of the people that walk past me reach the sun faster than I could ever.

Outgrowing me with each drop of water that they take from me as they smile in my face.

But, I am trapped in the amber.

I am a slowly moving picture.

The solid liquid around me hardening as I try to make my next step out.

The giants of the earth want me that way.

Afraid of me to take their name and put them into the shame of the eternal wasteland that they’ve created.

The giants of the earth sit on the tall, dormant mountain to be mighty.

They sip on nectar that runs down like liquid gold.

But, my words erupt volcanoes.

Soon after the explosion, their mountain will crumble right underneath their feet.

In the meantime, I sing my song to the birds of the nighttime.

They carry on my message in the morning.

They can fly above the giants of the earth.

And, I will soon fly with them.

———————-

I’ve often felt left behind as a child. I wasn’t treated the same way as the rest of my peers. I wasn’t allowed to embrace my natural hair. I wasn’t allowed to have my own room. But I watched the rest of the world embrace the bountiful fruit that they would receive.

This poem is about privilege and how we view our world. People always being one step ahead of you and you just wonder why. This oppressive system that we all live in and all clamor for the chance at something better. The jealousy boils over as you see someone being allowed to do what you always dreamed of with the ease of just pure existence. For too long, we have allowed the propaganda of the privileged. For too long, we have allowed these oppressive beliefs to colonize our minds and doubt ourselves.

This is a message of resilience and a reminder of your power.