“Let’s give a warm, spiritual, heartfelt applause for las familias, the families of our graduates,” he said. He read the poem with moments of call and response, because it is important that we raise our voices in gratitude and praise and to speak up for those who can’t. The first Latino poet named U.S. poet laureate, Herrera is also a performance artist and an activist on behalf of migrant and indigenous communities and at-risk youth. He first visited the Mission Campus when he was in middle school in 1961, and he counts as one of his early mentors and good friends Professor Emeritus Francisco Jiménez ’66, who presented him with an honorary degree on behalf of SCU. The languages in the last line are Spanish and English and Nahuatl. The meaning is the same.
Today
is a new day
you are that
new day!
Today we leave an epoch behind
a grand moment of leaps wonderings and movement
and step into a new time unforeseen now here
Today you are that new time now visible
now prepared now filled with eagerness and hope
you are that hope that wild born vista of new horizons
Today, este día, change comes to you to your doors to this arena
It is bigger than you and yet you’re at its center
you are the blood of this vast new body of change
Yes, you are
What is it? You may say—what will it contain? Qué es?
De qué está hecho? What road must you choose where will it lead?
You do not know we do not know it has arrived
It comes in the shape of audiences rumbling
with questions of resistance with dreams of freedom
hungry thirsty in search of a thing called Peace in search
of Sisterhood
in search of Brotherhood—longing
for humanity
what will you say, what will you say about climate change
what will you say about war upon
war what will you write about unity not just about yourself
or for yourself how many bowls of water will you offer
to those living in fear in fear of deportation
in fear of bullying and bullets in fear of detention
in fear of the forced abandonment of their children
what
will you offer yes
you
to the ocean and skies what will you say as
you grasp the smoke of bombs the smoke of billions
the wings and fish and fins flashing in razor nets down below
today you are dressed in meaning today you
are surrounded with affirmation—from your parents
family teachers friends and neighbors yes
today is that new day—it is your turn now all yours
to walk far to lose yourself in the harvest of fields to
give seeds of meaning to all to gain knowledge
for all to intensify your kindness for all to carry
a satchel of compassion-action for all to ask and to
ask how can I strengthen my effort to save others
to stop exploitation to end misinformation to
bring down the walls with your heart on fire
and mind expanding with tenderness your words
of love of acceptance of inclusion of all peoples
of all beings of all colors de todos colores of all classes of all genders
the crystalline rainbows of sexual orientation of all
—yes today marks your journey
as individuals as innovators sharing and
working in solar circles for all will you invite the child
to rise up to the stage with you will you call
her to offer something her words at the podium to sing her song to
a new moment in her life—in a sudden light
you will notice the elders you will notice the drivers
and conductors and workers in laundries and hotels
all you meet all teachers and those you call enemies
and the earth crushing
toward an attractor galaxy among galaxies
and all the animals tiny now in the earth spinning
you will ask to learn from everyone every element
you will be filled with meaning of all existences
you will carry all treasures you will have all the codes
of everything—and you will notice suffering
what can I do you will say you will stop
again you will listen again you will reach for
a bowl of water a loaf of bread and speak with
the voice of a mother a son a daughter a father
long gone, now grown and love yes love will come
over your face and you will act and you yes
you will stand and you will bring about peace
food change water unity meaning a place
to exist a garden for all
a fountain where light enters in freedom
—Everyone, everyone say, “in freedom!”
All: In freedom.
Juan Felipe Herrera: Everyone say, “In freedom!”
All: In freedom!
Juan Felipe Herrera: Everybody say, “We will bring freedom!”
All: We will bring freedom!
Juan Felipe Herrera: Everyone say, “We will bring libertad!”
All: We will bring libertad!
Juan Felipe Herrera: A music of voices everyone’s voices
and your heart
will be the heart of beauty
Everyone say, “And our heart.”
All: And our heart.
Juan Felipe Herrera: Will be the heart.
All: Will be the heart.
Juan Felipe Herrera: Of beauty.
All: Of beauty.
Juan Felipe Herrera: And our heart will be the heart.
All: And our heart will be the heart.
Juan Felipe Herrera: Of community.
All: Of community
Juan Felipe Herrera: And our heart will be the heart.
All: And our heart will be the heart.
Juan Felipe Herrera: Of sky and earth.
All: Of sky and earth.
Juan Felipe Herrera: And our heart will be the heart.
All: And our heart will be the heart.
Juan Felipe Herrera: Of kindness.
and your life
will be the life of infinity
you will sing
Today
is that new day—
You are
that new day.
Muchas gracias, thank you. Tlazohcamate huel miac.