Angela Abalo

RED

Red my existence

Is purely bread

My life a matter of purpose not dread

Sometimes my every move may move may feel like a gamble

Like I am barefoot walking on pebbles

Feeling desolate but not isolated, addicted but not medicated

Evicted but still convicted

Free but still in a bubble, a puzzle, a maze, a game with no console

Red, my blood, my heart, my soul

everything that confirms my existence

Red, sacrifice, danger, courage

Anger, passion, love, joy

Intense emotions, motions and decisions

Defining my journey like an athlete at a tourney

Red, telling me to run to the end

But telling me to slow down so I don't end up dead

Red, the state of the world, the color of everyone's words and actions

Causing demolition and destructions

Making every location a destination

Not a tourist destination but a horror movie vacation

Like Doja’s vision where people don't just paint but paint towns red

Meaningful voices being crumbles to noises and choices being reduced to force by negative

forces

Red, my favorite color dazzling telling me I can do anything

Making my voice feel like a torch

A blazing fire calling for action and attention

Never extinguished but distinguished but the anguish

But the red in me is not dead

It is the blood in my veins, my passion, determination, my power

The changemaker in me, even if I may be dead I still have my RED