“As a woman/poet of color, I have always written about social issues, primarily social justice/injustice issues. There remains much about the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises that is directly related to inequity in this country. My poems continue to reflect the various realities that impact Black and Brown people disproportionately.”

“It’s easy to fall into despair, especially during a pandemic. Hope holds power. Hope reaches into the very pores of our being.”

“For those of us who are naturally inclined toward making art, we’re made ever more aware of what a powerful elixir it is [during the pandemic].”

“We need to express ourselves during these difficult times, and to do so creatively nourishes our souls. We can understand the world around us at face value … But the arts offer us a new way to make sense of our reality.”

“A false new birth./ This too blue sky./ These red tulips with yellow pistils/ yawn open.”

Art for art’s sake: yes, there is something to say about that. But art for humanity’s sake: that is how we must make use of our talents.

What we need now/ is glow…/ The sort of night that embers make

Sometimes justice is an endless search of blur/ while they come at you in a slow, stupid/ lumber with dead, dead eyes — crumbling/ arms outreached as if in embrace./ Like on that show The Walking Dead,

Looking back on times of turmoil, art can give a lasting window into the most intimate thoughts and feelings experienced during that time.