Poet Joshua Jennifer Espinoza believes language can be both a medium for transformation as well as a way for us to find our own identity. In her own words, Espinoza writes poetry to better understand herself and her position, but she also writes to honor the history that she’s part of. In the poem “I Dream Of Horses Eating Cops”, the young poet addresses the tensions in a society filled with demons.
I DREAM OF HORSES EATING COPS
I dream of horses eating cops
I have so much hope for the future
or no I don’t
Who knows the sound a head makes when it is asleep
My dad was a demon but so was the white man in uniform
who harassed him for the crime of being brown
There are demons everywhere
dad said
and he was right but not in the way he meant it
The sky over San Bernardino was a brilliant blue when the winds kicked in
All the fences and trash cans and smog scattered themselves
and the mountains were on fire every day
I couldn’t wait to die or be killed
my woman body trapped in a dream
I couldn’t wait to wake up
and ride off into the sunset
but there isn’t much that’s new anywhere
The same violence swallows itself and produces bodies
and names for bodies
I name my body girl of my dreams
I name my body proximity
I name my body full of hope despite everything
I name my body dead girl who hasn’t died yet
I hope I come back as an elephant
I hope we all come back as animals
and eat our fill
I hope everyone gets everything they deserve
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Originally published in Nepantla #2.
You can check out more about Jennifer Espinoza and her work on her website and Twitter.
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Images by @melaniabrescia