The Women in my Life

By: Javier Gomez, Sophomore

My life, defined by a roller coaster of trials and tribulations
Like the prisoner, thrown in a lion’s pit, unprotected and vulnerable
Imbroglio in a maze of hardships and adversity
Clouded by the “fatal prejudice” of humanity.

Dragged and chained by society
Torn down and trampled on
Debilitated legs and crushed faith 
Raptured and stuck in an abyss
Like a lone fruit on a withering tree
Or a singular flower on prairie

Stranded on a desolate island-
I found light--
angels,
flowers--
I found… the women in my life:

My mother, my teachers, my friends.
The bonds I’ve created throughout my journey.
They have molded my life.
Who I am today, is because of them.

They are willows, blooming in luxuriant opulence. 
My mentors, my guides, my luminosity through the darkest days. 
Without them, I would be stranded, lost, and afraid.
Their beauty and radiance illuminate the cloudy weather.

My Mother, my birthgiver, my soul.
Taught me the rights from wrongs, the lefts from rights, and the ups from the downs. 
By my side, through weariness and sickness.
Grasping me through every tear that menaced my body.
Who held my hand tight and loved me unconditionally,
whenever I fell and felt pain?
My Mother, a rose, the divinity of beauty.

My Sister, my Grandmother, my Aunt
My companions through my darkest, unlit nights
Have seen my first steps, my first movement, my first words
Fights, arguments, and conversations have tested our relationship
Yet, our love expressed is unconditional
My pride, my joy, my reason to wake up.
Their beautiful faces luminate my life.
My Sister, My Grandmother, My Aunt-my gratification.

My Teachers, my guides, my “light out of the cave”
From infancy to the peak of puberty,
My writings, my readings, my math, my sciences, 
All taught by beautiful, wise women.
Without them, I would be lost in this cavernous world.
Who was there for every test I completed, for every step I took, for every dream I dreamt?
My teachers, my coaches, knowledge beyond words. 

My Friends-powerful women-the meaning of true friendship
Ever since I was a flower bud waiting to bloom,
I’ve been supported, lifted up, and elevated to the man I am today.
Throughout my constant struggles, anxiety, and fears
They have parted the sea for my voyage 
Without them, I would be trampled on with hope no more.
My friends-kaleidoscopes of lavishness-potency of luminescence. 

I, Javier Gomez, have found the women in my life. 
My soul, my light, my happiness
Thank you to all the women who have sculpted my life
My angels, my flowers, my beams 
And to always remember
That I am and will always be the Man in your life.