The Embrace of New Women New Yorkers

Written by Maria Isabel Dicent

I arrived in the city with an uncertain soul,

my home was a place I had never known,

a land of steps and memories untold,

where words were a distant echo,

and English, my great foe.

I lived in other Latin lands,

but New York was just a dream in my hands,

my Latino accent, my broken strands,

faded among unfamiliar bands.

But something inside me shouted with might:

“Here you are, and here you fight.”

And along the way, I found a warm embrace,

New Women New Yorkers opened its space,

it gave me wings when I lost my grace,

and taught me to cherish my roots, face to face,

to own my story and set my pace,

with courage, I’d keep my place.

I graduated from a dream, just starting to gleam,

I joined the cause with passion and steam,

to help others who needed to dream,

in this multicultural stream.

Fear took hold at the start,

when the opportunity knocked on my heart,

but a new strength made me restart,

and with it, I knew I’d play my part.

My voice, once timid and small,

grew firm with each rise and fall,

and in each workshop, each call,

I found the woman who stood tall,

with stories of hope, healing all,

and memories of a home that will never fall.

Today, I look back with gratitude and grace,

for each lesson, each face,

because together we’ve found our place,

knowing the path is shared, not erased.

Today, I am part of something great,

a community that gave me my fate,

the tools to be a beacon, a gate,

to offer a hand and not wait.

To show that there is hope, though the road may be late,

and each uncertain step holds weight.

This journey is a gift,

an echo of the faith that gave me a lift,

when I lost myself in the rift.

Today, my story’s no longer adrift,

and with each word, each shift,

I am part of a dream that will always uplift,

a collective dream that will never drift,

brave and ready to fly,

waving our flag to the sky.