In the Wake of Anti-Asian Violence, Wishing for Peace

Amidst the news of anti-Asian bullying and hate crimes, Pongo Poetry Project stands in solidarity with our Asian sisters, brothers, and siblings in humanity and condemns acts of domestic, racialized terrorism.

Hearing the awfulness of anti-Asian sentiment is dramatically contrasted by the hopeful, generative, and altruistic sensibilities of our authors, like this young poet who offers us a poem for our times:

When I Grow Up, I’ll Be a Hero

by a student at CSTC, age 12

I can’t wait to be an adult.
I’m going to be like my heroes—like MLK.
I’m going to do peaceful protests, make speeches
and visit places in hard times.

I’ll write letters to the president,
win the Nobel Peace prize,
and if I get to, I’ll thank my grandma, my teacher
and of course, Pongo.

If I had to die for a good cause,
it would be to stop trafficking.
Maybe people would stop being sexists
and homophobic
and trafficking and assaulting women,
because it is wrong.

When I watch the news and hear about people protesting
trafficking and school shootings,
that makes me want to help.

I want to yell, I hate violence.
I wish there was world peace
but that won’t happen.

I cry when people and friends get hurt or killed
like when my best friend’s dad got shot
when someone wanted his money for drugs.

I will fight for peace
but not with violence—
I will fight peacefully.

Dedicated to my grandmas