The Capitol Nine - How it all Began
Photo by Anita Sarkeesian
“Nine brave students chained themselves to the Arizona State Capitol on April 20, 2010 to send Gov. Brewer a message: VETO APARTHEID BILL SB 1070. In doing so, they started a non-violent revolt that has spread across the U.S. ”
This was the Facebook message Franciso sent to Manuel J Hernandez G, Associate Professor of Spanish and Chican@ LIt at Arizona State University honoring the Capitol Nine for their heroic non-violent direct action against the then proposed AZ SB1070.
April 22, 2010
Estimado Manuel: Te mando la nota abajo con el nuevo poema que escribí que se llama "FOR THE 'CAPITOL NINE' junto con otro poema "LAS FLORES SON NUESTRAS ARMAS (FLOWERS ARE OUR WEAPONS)". Se los puedes mandar a dondequiera o publicarlos en el diario de AZU y dárselo a los 7 estudiants de AZU. Saludos, Francisco
Dear Manuel: I am sending you the note below with the new poem that I wrote called "FOR THE 'CAPITOL NINE' together with another poem "THE FLOWERS ARE OUR WEAPONS". You can send this to them anywhere or publish them in the AZU diary and give it to the 7 AZU students. Greetings, Francisco
These are Francisco’s poems as they first appeared in our Facebook notes. These words initiated our Poets Responding poetry project.
Sunday, April 25, 2010 at 7:19pm
FOR THE “CAPITOL NINE”
to the nine students who were arrested on April 20, 2010 at the Arizona State Capitol for protesting SB 1070
carnalitos
y carnalitas
brothers
and sisters:
from afar
we can hear
your heartbeats
they are
the drums
of the Earth
our people
follow closely
your steps
as warriors
of justice
and peace
you take on
the Beast
of hatred
the unlawful
police enforcement
of discrimination
chain yourselves
to the doors
of the State Capitol
so that terror
will not leak out
to our streets
your voices
your actions
your courage
can’t be taken
way from us
and put in jail
you are nine
young warriors
like nine sky stars
you are the hope
the best dreams
of our nation
your faces
are radiant
as the Sun
they will break
this dark night
for a new day
yes, carnalitas
and carnalitos:
all our sisters
all our brothers
need no papers
to prove once
and for all
we are humans
just like you are–
we are not criminals
our plea comes to
No to criminalization!
Yes to legalization!
by Francisco X. Alarcón © 2010
********************************
LAS FLORES SON NUESTRAS ARMAS
(FLOWERS ARE OUR WEAPONS)
we opened
the doors
of our homes
to greet them
they came in
and evicted us
we showed them
the open green
of our valleys
the sacred
clear blue
of the sky
they cut down
the trees
for their furnaces
we gave them
all the fruits
of this land
they poisoned
the rivers
with mercury
yet we survived
the slaughter
of our days
and now
we face them
in this final battle
to save
our lives
the lives of all
desierto / desert
give us
your strength
viento / wind
blow into us
your courage
madre agua /
mother water
guide us in
your tender ways
carnalitos
y carnalitas—
brothers
and sisters
don’t be afraid
las flores
las plumas—
the flowers
the feathers
are on our side!
© 2010 Francisco X. Alarcón