I’m a black raven,
with big dark eye lashes and round chocolate brown eyes
I soar through the bright, blue sky
I see the enormous world
Below me.
I call out with a loud ‘brronk’
Expressing my thoughts,
Thoughts of happiness, suffering, pain and love.
If I come to you,
Please don’t judge me for my appearance,
I might look dark and scary,
But inside I have suffered a lot,
At school they whisper Mexicans steal and are stupid.
In the world, people treat girls like things
Not like individuals
And men pressure us to be beautiful.
I have lots of pain,
At nine years old I started my journey through many difficult trials
Because of how people treated me.
Feelings of sadness, disappointment
Building strength and pride
Making me show my inner beauty
And compassion for the ones that I love.
If I come to you my friend,
Love me
Smiling with your bright eyes
Showing me you care.
Let’s forget about the unimportant things
Let’s play
Let’s fly through the mountains and forests.
If I come to you
Expect happiness,
Feel compassion and wellness,
Don’t be afraid of me,
I’ll make your life Joyful.
I’m a raven
I seek a friend
I’ll offer my insight when you are searching for answers
I’ll be with you through ups and downs.
I’m a raven
I’ll fly by your side.
Mara Lopez is a sophmore at Truckee High School. She wrote this poem while participating in the 2007 Adventure Risk Challenge program, promoting youth leadership and academic skill building. ARC is holding a fundraiser on June 14. Find out more at sagehen.ucnrs.org/arc or 530-205-5649.
