Monthly Poem: April./May./June.

Sword and Shield with a Cross.

This is a piece I wrote for an event I co-featured in February 2023, Afro Verse at Union Bar + Burrito, curated by Vlad (@VladimirJean). The show had three themes for the night so I challenged myself to create a new piece for each one. "Sword and Shield with a Cross." was written with the theme of "skin" in mind. It addresses my experience with my skin color, being Latino in spaces that may not completely embrace that, and thoughts around all of it.

Y'all get to see the rough and early version with mistakes.

This is the second time I performed it BUT the first time I tried to perform it from memory. This piece has gone through many edits since then, and I've also successfully performed it a handful of times but wanted to show you there's beauty in the process.

Performed March 2023 at Tell Your Truth

an event curated by Mr. Orange Live (@MrOrangeLive) at Troop PVD sponsored by CIC and RISCA

Captured by Alisha Pina (@YourWingsRReady), of Inner Wingspan