The Stroll ©

Rosa strolled down the street 

with her two kids,  a boy on 

roller skates passed by them,

the grocer came out to sweep 

the sidewalk in front of his 

store wearing a smile and 

in unison they looked up at 

the sky aware from church

lessons it was not forbidden.  

she lived without fear on the

block, the people were her 

mountain, mornings belonged

to her and she carried the little

village she fled years earlier in

her voice. when she reached 

Southern Boulevard, a wide

street annually decorated for 

Christmas,  the young mother

squeezed her kids tiny Brown

hands and she listened to the

words arising in her praising

the time spent living a place 

where speaking out for what 

is right does not come with 

prison or being tossed in a 

shallow grave.  pausing in

front of a John’s Bargain 

store she whispered to the 

children we are the earth,

life and dreams.  

h. j. Recinos