By Danez Smith
Brown Dad taught me to cut bait,
to fillet away from the tail
and run the knife across the bones
like a stick on a picket fence,
to sliver enough meat to hide the hook,
to keep the skin intact
because, in the dark, it can catch
facets of light and lure.
Brown Dad taught me to use up the small
or inedible for bait, to mimic nature
while paralleling capitalism’s tendency
to add value by sacrificing one life
for another, like a boss leaving early
knowing the hooked have no choice
but to say okay, in the hope to be
on the right end of the line
and the barb while predators
lurk beneath our exposed bellies
waiting for light to dance on skin
Christian Hanz Lozada’s (he/him) near-accolades include two Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations, runner up in the Blossom Contest for BIPOC writers, and almost dated Super Bowl halftime star Jessica Alba (if an initiated conversation counts). He wrote the poetry collection He’s a Color, Until He’s Not. His poetry has been published worldwide, including in Zocalo Public Square, Bamboo Ridge, and others. Christian has featured at the Autry Museum and Beyond Baroque. He lives in San Pedro, CA and uses his MFA to teach his neighbors and their kids at Los Angeles Harbor College.
Josh Kennedy is a homegrown photographer from Long Beach! He is a nerd first, photographer second, and college student third (he just got accepted into his first choice college!) He’s been learning and doing photography since just before the pandemic. He hopes everyone loves his photos, and if you want to check out more please check out his Instagram (@john_photographer_kennedy) and check out his Cara if you wish to see his portfolio! (You can find the link on his instagram bio!)