Ricardo Nazario y Colón

Was born in the South Bronx and now lives in Georgeton, Kentucky.
While attending the University of Kentucky he became one of the
cofounders of the Affrilachian Poets. Currently, he is a doctoral
student at the University of Kentucky and works as the Director of the
Office of Diversity Programs for Western Kentucky University in
Bowling Green, Kentucky.

 

Defiance morning once again; children roaming the house "has anyone seen my shoes", choir response, NO! Hazelnut filtering the air and America is under siege by TV coverage of dc sniper the sound of metal rubbing on metal brings everything to a holt a special report; F.B.I. releasing latest composite America waits in anticipation and I cross my fingers like I always do whispering a prayer yet again to GOD please don’t let him be... a flash sketch appears of a middle age White man deep breath sighs are release allowing Metal on metal to begin rubbing into motion America gets back to its daily grind suddenly hurricane large my daughter screams Why! Why can’t it be a woman? i stop, i look, i sketch her; profiling a pre teen, her world realizing she is live flesh standing arms stiff at her side, fist clench and muscles pulsating underneath her tiny Catholic school uniform understanding that part of whom she is as woman coming into being is the assumed invisibility of her existence by numbers and probabilities.