The One who Stayed with Me
Draft Poem
His mom handed him off,
signed her carta de poder —
his aunt could have him,
if he made it north
He crossed alone
la migra picked him up
took him to children’s detention
where he found out his dad died,
a man he never knew
as he counted down the days to his eighteenth birthday
when ICE came to take him
There wasn’t enough time
to get before a judge
or win at any stage, but
his aunt sent me 15 documents to prove
she could support him,
that he was hers
even though she had no papers
I had too many other clients
I was sinking
drinking juice instead of eating meals,
working in the hot office on weekends,
certain I was failing this kid
and all the others
One life. His is one life.
Today a piece of paper says he can stay here.
What happened to that officer
who checked yes instead of no
What moved that heart, made it choose this child
now a man
To be saved, to be safe, to live.
