Scholastic Art and Writing Awards’ Honorable Mention Poetry
January 2021

midst of the fog

“In the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic, I penned a poem as an outlet for anger that welled within me, a response to the rampant Asian hate that circulated not just my state, but reverberated across the nation and the globe. This piece is profoundly raw and expresses who I am, being the very essence of my identity and emotions.”

All men are created equal,

And acceptance reigns free.

They say,

We walk the domain of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,

And prejudice is deceased.

But what’s said, isn't what’s promised,

Instead, actions are louder than words.

Injustice roams free in our fractured nation

And yet piece by piece, hand in hand,

They say,

Our broken pieces can mend into a perfect strand.

What a lie!

Before my eyes, no strand to be seen.

Only blood, tears, and the lives of my people before me.

I wish they could open their eyes,

And see our fight,

And our fright,

Disguised in a world filled with "rights."

I wonder.

Where do we stand in the midst of the fog?

What of the boys who were stolen and the girls who were wronged?