Barbie- Who You Forgot Poem by Jacqueline Dorantes

Barbie- Who You Forgot



I wanted to be Barbie,
I wanted that glossy blonde hair
Blue eyes, long legs,
and triumphant stare.
I wanted to wear the latest clothes,
with manicured nails and pedicure toes
I wanted to look like her,
I wanted to be her!

But I was just plain, old me,
Dark-eyed, curly-haired and bony
There was nothing special about me,
A Mexican girl whose knees were always scabby.

I wanted to be pretty,
to wear pink and have a pony
I was never gonna be Barbie,
If I didn't stop my dirt playing and fighting.

But soon, I grew to hate her,
and to my eyes, she became a stranger
I hated her cold, blue eyes,
and friendly smile that she used as a disguise.

I walked through the toy aisles hoping,
to find a latina Barbie or something
But there was only blue eyes and blonde hair,
and a black Barbie here and there.
It was then I realized that this world wasn't meant for me,
because Barbie forgot about the minorities.
Soon, I realized she never really forgot,
because in her mind, we were just a dismissed thought.

Barbie was sitting up in Washington,
Trying to dispose of the immigrating Mexicans
While little girls like me,
Sub-consciously longed for the american dream.

Little girls like me,
Spent their childhood learning
The English language just to get by,
Only to realize that we were worth nothing in society's eyes.

My brother was already accepted in a university,
But since he had no papers, his dream never became reality
His ID still brings tears to my mama's eyes,
because they came here to better their lives.

A million tears cried and still no sign,
That someday everything will be fine
Instead, we watch our people driven out of their homes,
In places like Waukegan because it's an anti-immigrant zone.

People like my mama are discriminated everyday,
because of the English words they cannot say
The anger and helplessness burns in her eyes,
As she struggles to learn English during week-day nights.

But there ain't never nobody to hear our cries,
Only silent anger meets our eyes
Anger because we are 'the ones, who stole your jobs, '
But you ain't gonna bend over and pick those crops!

You're not gonna clean toilets for $6.50 an hour,
Only to go home and take a bath in a broken shower
But you refuse to see beyond your luxuries,
Because to you, we ain't nothing but minorities!

I have no blue eyes, long legs or blonde hair,
and money has never really been there
My mama isn't a model and my daddy ain't no billionaire,
But I have hope in my prayer.

So don't be surprised if one day I'm there,
Up in Washignton with my curly black hair
Raising up hell because it's time for a change,
Maybe then Barbie will bother to remember my name.

(Fall 2008)

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Keith Hendrickson 07 July 2009

powerfull, deep, and filled with emotion... a very well written piece. i cant wait to read more.

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