Unlike you I arrived here on a comfortable tourist ferry Filled with people who saw a spectacle and not the freedom you hoped for. If these waters could speak I wonder what they would say. Do they remember the many ships that brought you here? I wonder what drove you to this place immigrenti Was it the southern hardships or the American opportunity? Your language made you seem childish as you were tested for literacy in a tongue you didn’t understand. Your last name written poorly, mispronounced, and more than often changed. Yet still you remained faithful to this foreign place, You remained faithful in the dream of America. With empty pockets and few possessions you entered the doors to Ellis Island Nurses and Doctors welcomed you by poking around with foreign tools. You tried desperately to hide the fatigue and sickness from your long journey. You watched your paesani get turned away. Tearfully you gazed at them, fighting to believe in the future you imagined. I find my last name here etched in stone, ghosts of unknown ancestors before me Strangely I feel connected, and this connection only makes me a stranieri It is here I am reminded of your sacrifice and your fear. This is where I understand your hope for freedom The waters will remain silent and tourists will come each day But I will never forget what took place here. And I will leave upon a tourist fairy, Only to board a plane with a passport, Reminded that you made this American dream my reality
Inspirational Quotes
