To what Connects My Blood to the Sea?
Spring, TX
2025, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
My mind is a soft, flowing state of water.
And my blood is red, hot anger coursing through me.
See how knowledge known from generations flows throughout
My mind– a tender mist, spreading to every crevice.
See how it flows gently, creating a welcoming chant of foamy waves
See how it curls around me and cushions my soul
In an attempt to waver my anger.
My blood contains the anger hidden inside that steadily flows.
It contains the tenacity to feed my entire body the nutrients it wails for.
It is not calm, it is simply repressed. It does not want to wait.
But, it must.
For it has been growing with each generation,
And the land it has settled in is now rotting and rejecting the water that feeds.
The form of my mind takes many different configurations.
Those that my people buried deep underground,
Restrained to their chains that contained the emotion to light them aflame,
Hoping that no one would feel the hurt filling their veins,
And yet it has sprouted in such a beautifully uncharacteristic way,
One that is through me,
Through the land that can no longer take the polluted water and heat.
My blood rushes like a river.
A river plagued by history that can never be taken back.
A river that will forever be tainted from the blood shed within it, that its sharks followed.
A river that rejects those who help, for in the long run, the land will suffer the same fate.
A river that is afraid, for if any more contamination were to find its way in,
It would burst with all it has ever known: anger.
And it would destroy humanity.
For if we continue on the same track of unnecessary hurt and pain,
The same track that relates my wounds to the sea,
And the sea that is crying out for relief from all the agony
I don’t believe I’ll get to see the day
Where my blood and the river separate
So everything could finally be
Okay.
Spoken Word Video
Reflection
Reflection
The idea in my piece stemmed from the deep connection between African Americans and the land where they were once enslaved, traded, and abused. I wanted to portray the deep wounds that both African Americans and the sea shared during their time on Earth. I was heavily inspired by the idea of expressing my troubles through the sea since it felt the same thing. I strived to make my poem something that would cause the viewer to be able to feel what it was that I was feeling. Using the technique of telling this through water would make it easier for the viewer to connect themselves to my work, even if they have not experienced my topics. Being creative makes me feel empowered and confident, not only within myself but also with my community. It allows me to speak on issues that bother marginalized groups that otherwise wouldn't have come to light. The more I grow as a writer is directly linked to my growth as a person. Through my research into the contest theme, I have learned about how the land where people originate affects them, whether it is positively or negatively. My message to my viewers is that many groups in the past have struggled due to the cruelty of humans, and if we do not break this path of hurt, the environment will be the next to suffer irreparable damage.