Maybe

There’s plastic in my sushi
Maybe
There’s lead in the water
Most Likely
There’s Mad Cow in my steak
Probably
There’s cancer in the air
No doubt

Before abundant fish are dead
Before fresh water evaporates
Before pastoral cows kill us
Before hot air disintegrates young skin

Maybe—

Our minds will expand beyond the edges of infinity
And you, free from the yoke of social media pings
And constant consumerist lies
Free from this dying system

Maybe—
You will make
The earth, and you, and I
Whole.

Maria J. Estrada is an English college professor of Composition, Literature, and her favorite, Creative Writing. She also runs her union chapter. Maria grew up in the desert outside of Yuma, Arizona in the real Barrio de Los Locos, a barrio comprised of new Mexican immigrants and first-generation Chicanos. Drawing from this setting and experiences, she writes like a loca every minute she can—all while balancing her work, union, and family obligations. Maria lives with her husband, two children, and two cats on Chicago’s south side. Read more about her writing at barrioblues.com Read other articles by Maria J., or visit Maria J.'s website.