Maybe the Criminal is Me
GABRIEL VESPERTINO
I find it quite impossible to see
A world without people like you and me
The art of my palm draws blood from the times
A shred of meaning with a tint of crimson
Thick and twisted as it may be
He drew threads of poison from the seams
Through cracks, in between, we are buried underneath
And my heart races at the thought of anything.
Far from the kin of my soul and it’s effervescent crease
Unfortunately, our bodies may never know peace
As his white hand, simultaneously, grasps so tightly
To this so-called land of the free.
Soiled by the richness of many browns and greens
We are far removed, pushed to take a seat
On the bench of promise and eventual greed
Forced to swallow our riches in the form of opportunity
Running the race of potential, as a trusted steed
I turn my face to the idea of planting the seed
For you know, with intention, what it is you do
Taking up space in every single room
And of course you see the truth of it all
Using an excuse of ignorance to then drop the ball.
A mask of indifference hides under deliberation
Roaming free from the shackles of interrogation
An utter disinterest in accountability
You decide the actions of a peer are not your responsibility
Though the system is coursing through his veins, it’s credibility
He chooses to riddle us with consistency in the form of grief
A world remains grim with rule as I scramble in disbelief.
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"My name is Gabriel Alyxander Vespertino. I'm 23 years old and I am a 3rd year transfer student here at UCSD with a major in Music and a minor in Creative Writing. Poetry has been a love of mine since I was in elementary school so I’m very thankful that my work is being appreciated in this way. I’ve written a lot about intersectional experiences in society that contribute to the injustices and erasure of People of Color, specifically those identifying within the LGBTQ+ community. I do acknowledge that my experience as a mixed race, white passing, Transgender man has brought me a lot of privileges that many do not have and I choose to use my words to not only cope with my own experiences and perspectives but also highlight the experiences of the many marginalized individuals who are often overlooked in society."
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ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE KALEIDOSCOPED
A lens that may come off as abstract distortion or disconnected from reality. In my opinion, to be Kaleidoscoped is to be fully seen through every layer, every cycle, and every perspective. To be Kaleidoscoped is to be brought to life and experienced as a beautiful whole created by many fragments. New images are created through overlapping images that then capture an essence of all that is unseen and seen at one time. |