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Writer's pictureGender Studies Student

Hellscape

inside Out

forward Back

what will support the weight of this heavy heart

you’re on your own

there’s only turning back

why not me this time

there’s never another try

the kids are not alright

they’re not alright

not right

hexagonal shadows mark my place in the sun

barbed metal is all the rage

wall after wall after wall

blocking

fraying

draining

what cruel gods are they

only lucifer keeps a warmer hall

maybe I will wake their heart

maybe they will take Me in

but what of Us

and Them.



Synopsis:

This poem is an imagined vignette of families that have been separated at borders, as well as just making an unauthorized border crossing. I wanted to write a poem as a way of including vivid imagery as well as symbol capitalization to make a point relating to several course themes (neoliberalism, militarism, and border crossing). In effect this poem is trying to get at the painful trek that many millions of folks make every year, in terms that folks can understand. I do not intend to speak for folks who have made these journeys, only to shed light on happenings that violate human rights.


Rationale:

The rationale for writing a poem as opposed to another creative resource, is the use of words to succinctly show a perspective. They can be often easily understood even through layers of meaning, and phrasing. I think it’s important for these resources to be accessible to lay folks but also carry intentional critiques and standpoints. I haven’t written poetry in a long time, so it was really intense and I hope that this carries over into how folks read it. I want the reader to by the end understand the false messaging, binaries, and assumptions that hegemonic nation-states operate under. As well, I want them to feel the heat, the shade, and the difference.


Keywords: border crossing, difference, privilege

Author: Steven

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