Reflections from a Social Work Internship
Recently, our Master of Social Work intern, Ashley Escobar, completed her year with us. As she reflected on what she’d learned, she composed the following two poems that give voice to the uphill journey of working together for a better world.
The Steps
By Ashley Escobar
There are steps that will test us
in more ways than we can imagine.
It’s the game of life.
The steps seemed impossible.
Overwhelming.
Something I couldn’t do on my own.
The feeling of the unknown.
Jumping into the deep end.
Am I set up to fail?
Am I set up to succeed in this world where the systems are pitted against us?
Do I have a voice?
Does my voice even matter?
Who cares what I have to say?
Do I have something to offer?
Time and time again, society pits us against each other
Thinking we don’t know how to move forward.
We don’t know how to come together.
Together we move forward.
One step at a time.
There isn’t one way, to make this work possible,
the steps have an impact no matter how small.
Reminding myself that facing these steps is harder alone than together.
The steps wouldn’t be possible without the people I trust.
Building trust comes from deep relationships.
Relationships that have taken time to form.
Relationships that I now depend on.
Relationships that bring out the best of me.
Relationships that force change to happen.
The steps we take together, make a better world possible.
A world that we may not see in our lifetime, but a world that is worth working towards.
At the end of the day, our collective steps add up.
My Darling, You are Not Alone
By Ashley Escobar
My darling, there is power within you
a power that is waiting to ignite
and come to life
My darling, there is light within you
a light that ignites this universe.
Even though the world will try to dim it,
it is there, within you, waiting, simmering.
My darling, you are not alone
My darling, you hold the knowledge that no one could teach
Your ancestors watch over you, give you
the strength and courage to continue.
Their lessons are within you, in your blood,
in your bones, in your skin,
they send you messages with the wind and sun.
The messages are simmering within you.
Listen to your gut.
My darling, history will tell you to give up.
History will tell you this is a white women’s story,
a white women’s space.
There is more to this story than you’ve been told.
My darling, you are not alone
My darling, history is being written
at this moment.
The flame is at a dim waiting to ignite
My darling, there is a power within you
a power that can contribute to meaningful change
a change that you cannot make happen alone
there is power in community
there is power in numbers
there is power in love that ignites your flame
that becomes a fire
when we come together
My darling, you are not alone
My darling, there is power in collaboration
there is power in working together
listening to each other
lifting each other up.
Our flames coming together fuel the change
we envision for a way forward.
A future we’re proud of.
My darling, there will be days that test you,
days that will make you want to stop.
It is okay to rest, even when society tells you it isn’t.
There is power in rest.
Rest is a revolution.
Rest gives us the strength to continue.
Remembering,
My darling, you are not alone
My darling, our flames are the light
forward the future
There isn’t one path to get there
but it involves us coming together
learning from each other.
My darling, the road is long
it’s a road with twists and turns
it’s a road that is lit by the flames
we create together.
My darling, you are not alone