“Pocket Activist”
Demitri Camperos
I fumble in seams ―
Skim my wallet for news
Engrossing views
My glued and forward march
Towards that overdue home
Though not what it seems ―
My naked ears still hear
And yet, still here
In cold and passing March
Towards some overdue home
I can’t change the past
I can’t pass the change
I can’t meet your eye
And I can’t look away
Artist Statement: This poem evokes a very specific memory of me campaigning for Bernie Sanders while near-penniless in Los Angeles, one of the most expensive places in the nation to live. Fighting for political equity in the slow grind of bureaucracy while passing by those who are immediately impacted by our country's obsession with monetization, the dual strokes of wanting to help in one aspect and feeling utterly unable to in the tangible, urgent other.