STUDENT VOICES
IMMIGRATION STORIES
The Star Catcher
My dad lifts his strong arm and throws the ball into the sky
I bend my knees and begin to run after it
Past the clouds and into the heavens the baseball transforms into a falling star
I lift my glove to make a cradle for this roaring ball of fire
I will catch it and send the star back to my dad, so he can make a wish
My glove is no match for this burning star
A crater threatens to rip through the surface
Still I grip the star between my small hands
My dad stands at the edge of the field
Proud of his son, the "Star Catcher"
I step into my throw just like he has shown me
The star's flame burns my hand even as I throw it back to him
Eventually even stars begin to fade, their white lights dim to a pale blue
Just like the heat of summer disappears
The days get shorter
My throws fall short and never make it to my dad
No more baseball talk
No more recordings of the All Star Game
No memories to sustain small talk
Maybe if I had thrown the ball harder we could have made his wish come true together
He was too young to be a dad, just a kid
He wanted to play and have time for his family
Maybe I should have made a wish myself
Maybe then we would have something to talk about
About the Author
Angel is one of E4FC's 2010 Scholars. His parents brought him to the US from Mexico when he was one year old. Currently a junior at San Francisco State University, Angel is studying Cell and Molecular Biology. He is the youngest RIMI Fellow at SFSU. He is also president of IDEAS, an undocumented student organization at SFSU. In the future, Angel hopes to become a cancer researcher so that he can address health issues in undeserved communities.
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