
(Hard)ness
Issue 01: Mirrors
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Issue 01: Mirrors
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum consectetur libero eu molestie viverra. Etiam neque dui, pellentesque non interdum porttitor, hendrerit eleifend odio. Ut nec nulla sollicitudin, accumsan lorem vel, vestibulum turpis. Proin pretium tincidunt ex in facilisis. Nam suscipit molestie lectus, quis molestie turpis tincidunt eget. Quisque molestie mauris a odio eleifend, nec vestibulum nulla egestas. Pellentesque et elit felis. Nulla id maximus nibh. Phasellus suscipit mattis lacus ut vestibulum. In hac habitasse platea dictumst.
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(Hard)ness
Apply | Fall 2018
Apply | Fall 2018
Apply | Fall 2018
Found: Not Guilty
Written by Traci Felton
You read these words in silence
They do not scream at you with the intensity as they do for me
Grip your face and press their fingers deep into your skin
with nails that scorch like hot coals
For me these words are dangerous
They are a declaration of the dread
surrounding me and a herald of what’s to come
They are not just signs of the time
but bellowing bursts of a bullet towards my skull
wishing to eradicate every thought, word, and action I can muster
These words scare me
and the fright reaches up from my depths
and burrows within my throat
It blocks any sound I may speak
and leaves a tear on my cheek
All encompassing, I can’t help but think
‘How long until you live just as me?
With knives in your back and hate in your ears
and your reflection on the tv screen shouting your fears
I can’t breathe!
You shot me! You shot me!
I didn't even do nothing!
I don’t wanna die too young.
I love you too.’
You do not believe these words
because if you did
you would think twice before putting your hoodie on at night
your hands would stick to your sides at the sight of a blue badge
and your voice would be hoarse
as your pleas piled up at the feet of politicians
who nod their heads then nudge you to the side
I cannot cry
I cannot weep
That water grows no trees
Instead I wait for the rain
to turn puddles into pools
and empires into oceans
until there is no breath to waste
And while you struggle for your life
you take a look at my face
Steel. Straight.
Silent.
To you, the pain is new
For me, I have been here all along. |
| Rob Felton (COM ‘23) is a sophomore in the College of Communication, minoring in Visual Arts. Artistic expression has always been his most valued method of interacting with the world around him. He devotes much of his life exploring the numerous ways he can articulate his thoughts and emotions in new and exciting artistic avenues. Whether it be poetry, photography, drawing, or any art form he has yet to dive into, he brings passion and intention in his expressive endeavors to tell the stories that are important to him.
“It is common practice in American culture for the white community to approach issues that face people of color, known as POC, with dismissiveness and detachment. Whether it be out of hate, fear, ignorance, or an amalgamation of feelings, the pleas of POC tend to fall on deaf ears when addressing the country’s majority. This attitude particularly extends to the tragedies of police brutality.
Police brutality is more than a news headline, but an indicator of the real tragedies and fears that the Black community specifically faces. It is more than just a Black issue, it is a human issue. Once our society as a whole accepts that statement as fact, we will be able to create solutions to these problems and grow together rather than widen the divide. Too often are Black people isolated in their issues; forgotten, abandoned, and treated as victims who must also become our own heroes. Non-Black people are not expected to relate to our issues, but in order to help alleviate our experiences, they must believe in our experiences.”