7/26/2020 10:11am
Alondra Bobadilla
•Plymouth Rock•
ocean draws back sand
appearing to be the veins of the sea
tracks like seal slither
leading back to earth’s greatest wonder
and slickest deception
domestic surface becomes roaring waves in one blink
an explosion of water atom to water atom
iridescent blues to green to clear in cupped hands
the sun kissed ocean becomes the enemy
swallowing you whole with no trace of you left
but clothing articles
and jewelry passed from generations
that one day a blessed swimmer will come to find in the treasure
burrows of the sea floor.
rocks leading to waters edge
are everywhere
like warning signs
or maybe monuments of the ages
homes to creatures only known to sand depths.
it’s so inviting
where sky blue meets its mirror image
but just a step in and icy cold crawls up your legs to your spine
to the edge of your neck
paralyzing beauty.
this is not Boca Chica
this is not palm tree coco delights
or tropic drizzle
and dry heat.
this is
the mouth of Americas plight
pilgrims refuge
and natives doom
this costal graveyard
shielded by clouds
still God blessed
for sun rises upon these waters
and it rose upon every evil and every act of love that took place on
this land.
creation still loves us enough to rise on God’s command.
ocean draws back sand
the veins of the sea,
the arteries that pump back life into us
caresses these tired eyes with a breeze.
Previously published by the Boston Athenaeum (September 2020).
Poet’s Writing Prompt: Write a letter in the form of a poem to yourself. Whether that be a past, present, or future self is up to you. Just be transparent.
Why I Create
Marquis Victor
I create to peek behind the curtain of perceived primordial
happenstance
to witness eternal bonds knotted in permanence
I create to allow my finite mind
to experience the infinite
for just an instant
Different eras long gone
bygones begone at the crack of dawn compose the evening
when my
particle construction chases shadows
third eye studying alchemy in a Blaise Pascal tuxedo
projective geometry tucked in pockets
break bread with Dubois and Magneto
Freud can’t speak to my dreams
as I create ways to consciously free the ego
I create in indigo long bottoms
beside air vacuums and first causes
Mystic synthesizers captured in a room lit by fleeting embers
minimalist objectives save for the wormholes on my back wall
spitting riddles
from the 4th dimension
Whenever I create
I eat moon pies while contemplating Cambrian explosions
pretending generative linguistics make sense to my fragile
comprehension
When I create
singular atoms dance sensually with nurtured acumen
enigmatic brain functioning embalmed in William Blake etchings
The ghost of Abel haunts Lot and his daughters
causing me to produce sketches of symbolism for forgotten martyrs
and my daughter
I create to recapture the feeling of seeing her footprint under my
wife’s skin
I create to reimagine the farm in Léogâne
retracing steps of lost kin
When I create
I rally misfits, nitwits, pagans
believers, heathens, gentiles, goys
speak about collective consciousness in layman
I create to unmask reflective deceits
to analyze veins of leaves,
the sun’s glare
a mind’s release
When I create I can make Scooby-Doo analyze neurostreams
I create interludes of sacrificial neurons
resurrect lost galaxies
I create then observe in silence
Electrodes catch synapses in caustic action
Garveyism promotes schisms in sonar flairs
catch these hands scribbling under ash twilight between ancient
African fractions
When I create
hemorrhages of lavender light proceed to paper
Whenever I create
whatever I create
creation is liberation
Mass Poetry Writing Prompt: Write a poem that acts as a kind of personal artistic statement. Explore/explain/discover why you create.
Alondra Bobadilla was named Boston’s first-ever Youth Poet Laureate in January of 2020. Alondra uses her writing to highlight social issues that impact her and her community. Through her own work, she demonstrates how creative expression can be a powerful tool for youth to examine feelings around issues, find their voice, and speak up about the changes they want to see for their future. Alondra is the author of a collection of poems entitled With Clipped Wings. She is 18 years old and a student at UMass Boston majoring in International Affairs with a minor in Dance.
Marquis Victor is the founder and executive director of Elevated Thought. He leads ET’s vision, goals, and mission. He believes “creativity is essential for human flourishing” and grounds his personal and professional pursuits in this perceived truth. In addition to being a poet and artist, Marquis has a master’s degree in Education from Lesley University and compiled over seven years of public school experience before focusing on Elevated Thought full-time. Prioritizing a process of conversation, creativity, and collaboration, Marquis built and facilitated the art and social justice curriculum that serves as the foundation for all of ET’s creative youth development and youth organizing work. A father, husband, and abstract thinker, he is currently pursuing his Doctor of Education at Northeastern University.