Three Kings

three kings our ancestors gave us

three kings was our epiphany

our clan's totem

the mark of our identities

los pobres viejos y las viejas

worried sick

prayed their rosarios

fulfilling their vows

to gain merit for us

and they clad their three kings in their hopes

and they painted their kingly skins

in the image of those who came before

one black for those who mourn

one white for those who seek clarity

one red for those who live

and crowned them with their pride

and with each divine child that was born

our holy kings had their hands full

latin kings our ancestors gave us

hardworking kings rich in gold

rich in the fruits of their labor

kings rich in incense and myrrh

spirit and devotion

kings rich in hope

who revered the child of hope

but our youth grew angry

when they were shamed

and denied their pride

and denied their culture

and they became latin kings a la kkk

an urban tribe of murderers and gangbangers

seeking father figures

seeking to belong

in a culture uprooted from their culture

seeking to belong

by murdering their neighbors

who talk and walk like them

instead of building kingdoms

for their queens and princes

three kings my mother gave me

kingly because of their dignity

three kings my grandfather gave me

before them my ancestors prayed

generation after generation

The above poem was featured in the latest issue of Seeds Literary Journal. / Este poema fue incluído en la última edición del Seeds Literary Journal.