I stand upon

I stand upon

by Carlos Rodriguez 

I stand upon the beautiful wise shoulders of the past 

but do not let it control me 

I relish in the arms of the present 

but do not let it consume me 

I belong to the future 

but I do not let anxiety over it slow me down 

I am who I am and I belong to the Alpha and the Omega 

to the Beggining and the End. 

I choose to live life on my knees

I choose to live life on my knees

By Carlos Rodriguez 
From the "Poetry and Prayers to unite America" Collection. 
De la coleccion "Poemas y Oraciones para unir America".

I choose to live life on my knees, 

Kneeling as a sign

of reverence 

to the sacredness of it All, 

the sacredness of your story and mine, of your wounds and mine, of your joys and mine 

I choose to live life on my knees, 

Kneeling as a sign of reverence 

to the sacredness of it All, 

Kneelin, Opening, 

The heart as wide as the soul will stretch because from the bottom grace can be received not from the top

because from the bottom tears can wash over us all

But tears do not fall upward...there is such a thing as gravity 

"Blessed are those that cry..." He said 

I choose to live life on my knees, 

Kneeling as a sign of obedience 

to the deep secret of sacred within 

Knighted by the longing deep within All that we will work towards a world where we stop throwing miracles away 

I choose to live life on my knees, 

healing your broken feet- the only way I know 

with calloused hands 

Kissing the wounds of your journey, whatever "camino" you have walked 

Standing in awe of the God that encouraged you through so many massacred streets 

Psalm 23:4 

I choose to live life on my knees, 

Not because I cannot stand 

but because I cannot stand alone 

without holding on to your hands 

In this the great circle we are meant to stand together 

and yet so many are pushed down on their knees 

So I have decided that I will live life on my knees 

grasping for hands at either side of the circles of those pushed down on their knees 

Standing slowly. Overwhelmed. As we lift each other up. 

Until no one is left down on their knees. 

Poetry and Prayer to unite America.

My Friends (Compañeros y Compañeras,),

I hope you all are well. In part due to a writing related class that I will be taking during my last semester of graduate school here at NYU and in part because sharing my writing with you all does me well I will regularly be sharing a collection of poems titled Poetry and Prayer to unite America that I have recently re-discovered from my time in Chile and before that. I will also be mixing in new stuff that I write here in New York City.

(Espero que se encuentren bien. En parte por una clase de escritura que tomare en mi ultimo semestre de la maestria aqui en NYU y en parte porque compartir mi escritura con ustedes me hace bien estare periodicamente compartiendo una colecion de poemas nombrada Poesia y Oracion para unir a America con ustedes que he redescubrido de mi tiempo en Chile y antes de eso. Tambien mezclare cosas nuevas que escriba aqui en la gran manzana)  

I truly hope that this collection poems can resonate with some of you and help you process wherever you are in your life. We are all in this together after all. 

(Verdaderamente espero que esta colecion les llegue por lo menos un poco a algunos y que les ayude a procesar donde esten en su caminar. Al final estamos en este mundo juntos.) 

I also hope that the fact that these will be in both spanish and english can be a symbol of continental unity. Whatever higher being you relate to, and as Pope Francis so powerfully shared in his last video address (http://bit.ly/1TGJdMN) love and faith after all do make us one people. Finally, I hope that the billingualness of my work can add even a little grain of hope to the divisive public discourse going on in our country. Though walls might have their place, there is nothing like a good bridge to get you to the other side. 

(Tambien espero que estos poemas en ingles y español sean un simbolo de unidad continental. Sin importar con cual ser del mas alla se relacionen, y como el Papa Francisco dijo tan poderosamente en su ultimo video (http://bit.ly/1VJQr3R) el amor y la esperanza nos hacen un solo pueblo. Finalmente espero que al ser bilingues estos poemas puedan poner su granito de arena de esperanza en el discurso publico de Estados Unidos y todo el continente que se siente tan fragmentando. Aunque las murallas tengan su lugar, no hay nada como un buen puente para cruzar al otro lado.) 

With lots of love and yes even hope, 

(Con Mucho Amor y si tambien con mucha esperanza,) 

Carlos Rodriguez