Peaceful Poetry Contest Winner - Jessica Jimenez Arroyo
Channel: Whatcom DRC
Date: 2017-12-05

Roots

Jessica Jimenez-Arroyo, Age 18

Peace is in our blood
The blood we donate to hurricane victims
Working together to provide for those who
have lost everything
Peace is in our hands
The hands we stretch to bring stray animals
home
Who have felt unkind palms before
Peace is in our voice
The voice we raise in protest to the injustice
faced by those in our community
Getting louder and louder with the strength in
our solidarity
Peace is in our eyes
The eyes that shed tears when we hear of the
children in the east that we have lost
Covered in a blanket of hatred and war
Peace is in the way my hair curls
Similar to that of my ancestors
The people of Maize
Who cherished the earth
And harnessed its nutrients to sustain our
people
Their skin glowing under the beating sunlight
Peace is in the nature around us
Enraged with the mistreatment of its land
Yearning for a change
We are walking constellations of all the people
Who love us
Have helped us
And have shown strength through their kindness
to others
Connect the dots and find the way
For we may have forgotten what Peace looks
like
But mistake not,
Peace is us.