“Fields”

I am able to chip away

at the surface of who I am

revealing a soft layer

of glistening lilac

Underneath my golden melanin

lies a field

of lavender

where the calm before the storm

is permanent

and the breeze whistles

With the sound

Of revolution.

A revolution on my skin

Heard by my ears

And seen by my eyes

Lived by their beating hearts

That could be stopped

In a second

By a bullet

As they stare down the barrel

Of that gun

The silhouette of that

Powerful institution

standing before them

Personified by a person

The lilac under their skin

Is reduced to gray ash

And a mass of flesh to be disposed of

The wind is stopped

And silenced

And is reduced to a mere draft

Its presence only recalled

When the door is opened

The door has been opened

Are we going to chip away at the layers of who they were?

Mike Brown

Trayvon Martin

Philando Castile

Sandra Bland

Eric Garner

Do not forget about their lavender

Grown anew and flowered

Picked and displayed

Captured and sold

Do not forget

About your lavender

Storming and brewing

With the ability

To grow

And fight

-lu

*The opinions and ideas expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the opinions of The Bronx Brand*

Lu Perez is from the Eastchester section of the Bronx but currently resides in the Fordham area.  Being Latina and growing up in a predominantly Hispanic/Latinx community in the Bronx has been a great influence in the way she writes. Her appreciation for her Dominican heritage comes through in Lu’s work. From the slang, the open fire hydrants during the summer, the sticky streets and booming music have become pieces in the puzzle that forms Lu’s identity; these are the experiences that have had a profound effect on the way Lu perceives the rest of New York, and the world.