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“Pray for me” she begs 
As Beverly waits patiently for her dollar for bread

On the street corners of New York City
She’s homeless 
She’s got no place to sleep tonight 
It’s 20 degrees 
In the city with bright lights

Yes indeed it’s the melting pot 
We call America 

Essentially 
We’ve been blocked 
The majority 
Living in poverty 

Homelessness is up
But the numbers don’t match
Guaranteed income 
Will it be something you’ll include
Primarily in the next batch

Our families are left financially strained 
With most dads in the pen
Instead of their homes 
Now their kids left to stray

Moms left with rent 
And the shelters are booked 
Her time has run out 
With the marshalls afoot

Her husband he cries 
From inside of the jail
“Let me out of this hole.”
“I’m no crook.” 
“And I’ve got no money for my wife or the bail.”

When he returns 
To civilization 
He can’t even collect 
Can’t even earn a living 
Most likely getting little 
To no respect

What kind of resources will he have to survive 
He’s broke again 
A baby on the way
Believe me, he’s tried

Single moms are forced to choose between formula and diapers 
“I can’t even afford a gallon of milk.” 
She cries

“My light bill isn’t paid, believe me, I’ve tried, I’ve tried.”

She questions our democracy 
“How can the government help?” 

“You think the government cares about us poor folk?” screams Dona Carmen 

She swipes her EBT card and finds out
She’s got a zero balance 

Her son Paco’s on drugs 
He needs money to get high 
“The system’s not working cuz my Paco was left out to dry.”

“He was such a great writer but the colleges just never wrote back.”
“I don’t know what’s happened to my Paquito, he must have fell through the cracks.”

He turned his direction to the streets so they say
No family at his back 
No support 
So he frayed

Everyone tells Dona Carmen that he will get better 
But the bills start to pile up 
And soon she’ll get the nasty eviction letter 

With her sons rehab on her mind 
Paco’s meds are too expensive 

Even his room and board with
Her checks she can’t afford 

When will we be free? 
From so many cracks 

To be free isn’t that what this constitution states?
But all I see 
With this American democracy 

Is that it needs salvation
A huge proclamation 

A change 
So we can finish the job that we started 

Without the homelessness
Without mass incarceration 

We can’t leave the hopeless helpless 

Its gotta start somewhere
Its an immediate necessity

For our youth 
Our future
A road to our recovery 

We need to take a closer look at our current systems 
So we won’t feel left out of the jurisdiction
That denies us a chance 
At the American dream 

Cuz’ when we’re chasing the American dream 
School loans are a burden for those who can’t afford it 

Especially during a pandemic
The strain can be felt
To get parents back on their feet
Safety nets can sure help

We must gain the people’s trust 
In order for this to work 
Let’s finish the job 
Continue to grow
See ourselves out of poverty 
What we tried starting 
A long time ago 

As I am a descendant 
Of Puerto Rico’s sugar cane workers 
Who flew to the States 
Settling all over the place 
From Jersey
The Bronx 
Even the commonwealth of PA 

In search of something greater 
Only to find out 
That gandules
And coffee
The guineos they said 
Were way more expensive 
Than picking them 
From trees 
For free
Instead 

Yes this democracy 
Has a lot of catching up to do
First it begins with us 
But it needs to include you too

A road to economic freedom 
The list goes on and on 
Give us a chance 
To breathe 
To survive 
And to come out as strong

—

Behind the scenes with the author

On a recent morning, I bundled up and ventured out into the sub-freezing temperatures before dawn to navigate the New York City public transit system on my way to yet another job interview.

After about an hour or so, I finally made it to the city. The usual commuters carry their cups of Starbucks and most of the tourists carry pamphlets. Some make their way to work and the others to the local museums. Everyone is in their winter gear, boots and all. Except for Beverly — she’s got none. 

In midtown Manhattan, she sits on the concrete sidewalk, in front of Starbucks Coffee Shop, begging for money. She’s homeless. She’s wearing tube socks, a few I might add, to keep the cold out. I ask if I can take a picture of her. I offered her a few dollars in return. She asked if I could buy her some meds at the pharmacy across the street. I tell her, “No, sorry I really have to go.” She asked me to pray for her instead, and I did as I headed off to the interview. 

“On a single night in 2022, roughly 582,500 people were experiencing homelessness in the United States” reported the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.      

According to the nonprofit organization National Alliance to End Homelessness in 2021, the Coronavirus pandemic interrupted homelessness data collection, specifically the Point-in-Time Count. 

In New York City alone, according to the Department of Homeless Services, in 2022 94.6% of families with children in shelters were Black and Hispanic. This number dropped when it came to single individuals in shelters, with Asian/Pacific Islanders ranking the highest. 

However, these numbers do not matter to either Beverly or me. She experiences what I see as an ongoing problem. In the days that followed, I did not see Beverly. So I decided to write a poem dedicated to her and tell part of her story.

Homelessness is not the only thing I felt I had to address, but also issues such as mass incarceration, which often leads to drug addiction and broken families. In my community, I see this happening all the time. I know many people in my community who have experienced similar hardships as Dona Carmen and Paco.

It is not only the government that loses their trust — they also believe the media is misrepresenting them. The poem was also inspired by my own struggles with poverty. I too have felt neglected and misrepresented. I hope this poem can express our concerns with the current safety nets set in place to ensure they actually reflect our present needs. 

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