The Ballad of Juan and Lady Liberty
The Ballad of Juan and Lady Liberty
Six sons I’ve loved
Who’ve all found their way
But Juan’s from the stars
And turns night into day
With smiles of silver
And eyes of the sea
He made an oasis
In a town of debris
But it's too small here
For a mind so tall
And Juan came to see
He must climb past our walls
So we yelled goodbye
As he rode through the dust
Crying tears of mud
Throwing roses of rust
In search of the world
He traveled away
To beat the big city
And send back the pay
But when he arrived
At liberty’s door
She quickly dismissed him
To work with the poor
He once saw her beacon
Through fog and through fear
But they put out her torch
And were met with cheers
A king with no country
With a crown made of thread
Painting the rooftops
And scraping for bread
They looked past his soul
To realize their plan
My boy was exposed
To the evil of man
Flushed into the sewer
Alongside the screams
Of dreamers before him
Swept up in the stream
So before he was taken
Back home in their chains
He once again knew
When to stop the pain
I was on the porch
When I saw his face
Pop over the wall
Swollen with disgrace
I lifted his head
And said to his soul
No one can ever
Take your control
His sky was clouded
But the stars bowed their head
And told my Juan
You are not yet dead
He may not have beat them
Or banished their lies
But he now shows the children
Their light deep inside
And so it goes
Sunrise and sunset
When you’re knocked to the floor
You can’t try to forget
Charlie Hurwitz is a senior at Penn State University pursuing a dual degree in Advertising and Spanish with minors in Sustainability Leadership and Global and International Studies. His poetry and prose focus on impermanence and climate change, and he enjoys hanging out with the many ducks and squirrels around Penn State’s campus.
