On December 11, 2019 a group of local creators gathered at the San Jose Peace and Justice Center in an act of Local Peace to collaborate on a Zine. The theme of the Zine was “The Earth”. While the pages were ultimately not assembled, we recently recovered some and would like to share. The text on the 2nd page is provided below the slideshow.
Text from Page 2:
(Preface) I met Paul at our Belong Circle in MLK Library where we dialogued between housed and unhoused community members. Paul read this to us and says he wrote it to read to City Council. We asked him to read it at the Interfaith Homeless Memorial of December 21st. He has the cadence of a slam poet and hearing him read this gave me shivers.
transcribed by Rowan Fairgrove
Poetry 11/27/19
Paul Soto
Mental health, under the weight of your wealth. suffers striving for dignity.
Our humanity under your apathy, our significance beneath your indifference challenges our collective resiliency.
Eyes see, ears listen, let sentient hearts pray, for those with an obsession, who welcome oppression to those living in San Jose.
The Greedy know nothing with regards to Justice. They know only about “just us”.
“Examine my heart” “Search my soul” says San Jose. “What has become of me?” When I look into the eyes, ignoring the cries of those “who are the lease of these”.
Compassion escorted me along the creeks, “These share not San Jose’s wealth” holding apathy’s nose because it reaked. Said it is of no matter, they brought in on themselves.
Along the Guadalupe, poverty mourning, as developers and banks keep oligarchs yearning, providing the means for gentrification, plotting the insolvents decimation.
Instead of new homes, they erect tombstones, casting its shadow along the river. Building your towers, demonstrating your power, in whose shadow the homeless shiver.
This poem’s goal is to remind, we have a mandate to be kind, upon which our humanity is built. Woe to those in haughtiness who chose to suppress the soul’s pangs of guilt.