The Children’s Prison

As a kid I believed
in segregation,
I had no choice

since all chicanos
were locked up
in the same school.

I could not
argue at the time
since

everything was
as it
was supposed to be.

You only had to
grow up
and learn the English,

they despised Spanish
and Spanish names---
they gave you

gringo names
to go
with your brown face.