Who Understands Me But Me Poem by Jimmy Santiago Baca

Who Understands Me But Me

Rating: 4.6


They turn the water off, so I live without water,
they build walls higher, so I live without treetops,
they paint the windows black, so I live without sunshine,
they lock my cage, so I live without going anywhere,
they take each last tear I have, I live without tears,
they take my heart and rip it open, I live without heart,
they take my life and crush it, so I live without a future,
they say I am beastly and fiendish, so I have no friends,
they stop up each hope, so I have no passage out of hell,
they give me pain, so I live with pain,
they give me hate, so I live with my hate,
they have changed me, and I am not the same man,
they give me no shower, so I live with my smell,
they separate me from my brothers, so I live without brothers,
who understands me when I say this is beautiful?
who understands me when I say I have found other freedoms?

I cannot fly or make something appear in my hand,
I cannot make the heavens open or the earth tremble,
I can live with myself, and I am amazed at myself, my love, my beauty,
I am taken by my failures, astounded by my fears,
I am stubborn and childish,
in the midst of this wreckage of life they incurred,
I practice being myself,
and I have found parts of myself never dreamed of by me,
they were goaded out from under rocks in my heart
when the walls were built higher,
when the water was turned off and the windows painted black.
I followed these signs
like an old tracker and followed the tracks deep into myself
followed the blood-spotted path,
deeper into dangerous regions, and found so many parts of myself,
who taught me water is not everything,
and gave me new eyes to see through walls,
and when they spoke, sunlight came out of their mouths,
and I was laughing at me with them,
we laughed like children and made pacts to always be loyal,
who understands me when I say this is beautiful?

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Joyce Herbert 28 January 2013

Is this guy on drugs?

6 21 Reply
Vidushi Khera 04 October 2005

Amazing poem...i think it's really true...we find ourselves when no body is ready to look out for us...and in that we find great comfort and we can understand the beauty of our lives even in the darkest of times! ! Wonderfully expressed poem Luv VidZ

12 3 Reply
Lynn C 12 August 2006

wow..thats all i can say wow...keep them coming..lynn

8 5 Reply
Konjit Berhane 02 November 2005

a very beautiful poem, one of the best i read. It touches every one i think. so keep the good work. koni

9 3 Reply
Gangadharan Nair Pulingat 16 October 2014

Let there not be such miserable situations to human beings where their freedom is curtailed, walls are painted in black and dark and water supply is cut off and alienated from the mainstream of human life which is against natural freedom and love of life itself. A poem with a difference but however relevant to make such precautions to maintain the freedom and justice to man.

9 2 Reply
Chinedu Dike 28 January 2022

Insightfully and movingly brought forth with conviction.

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 30 September 2021

A poignant, insightfuand touching poem,5 Stars full. Enjoyed reading this brilliant poem!

0 0 Reply
Rose Marie Juan-austin 30 September 2021

Deeply poignant and moving yet beautiful and inspiring write. A poem of great depth that gives us wisdom and teaches us how to persevere and deals with life.

0 0 Reply
Jose Gonzalez 30 September 2021

I can relate to this poem is all about perseverance. You try to block me and is ok beause i will find a way through you cant kill my spirit.

0 0 Reply
Mahtab Bangalee 24 December 2019

I am stubborn and childish, in the midst of this wreckage of life they incurred, I practice being myself, .............../// introspective

0 0 Reply
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Jimmy Santiago Baca

Jimmy Santiago Baca

Santa Fe, New Mexico
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