PART II: ART

Crayolas: A Poem By Joshua Brown

All we see are colors. Crayolas clog our perception because the spectrum’s limited. Likeartsuppliesoffered tokeepkidsbusy at dinner tables in Denny’s, there’s a 5-pack mentality. Red, brown, yellow, white, and black are our color scheme. We are all just toddlers taught not to color outside of lines in this coloring book of life. Reason being, systematic oppressionist mentalities. Reason being, since the beginning, white never mixed well with other things. Reason being, it’s overpowered too easily… So white forced black to lay foundation for a nation in these pages. And lines were implemented to impede blending, and stop the bleeding of other colors, by starting the bleeding of other colors,

with hopes that they’d run dry, so white wouldn’t be washed out completely… So the standing out of other hues has become misconstrued. Because they lack the opportunity to be viewed, unless controlled. Black is only used to outline popular culture. Otherwise, its only place lies within shadows... But in the background is where dark dyes die, and with so much contrast white life can’t help but attract brown eyes… And I, toddler taught not to color outside of lines, and thus I must have realized that brown too has limited use, most times it only works the menial jobs no other color wanted to do... Most times it’s alienated outside of the borders, deported and casted out from being a part of the group… It’s stereotypically viewed, brown only maintains ground… and or cleans up mess that other colors leave round… Its coloration is only used for maintenance of the settings around white spaces... Those white spaces are only white because

white saturation has left no place for red values in what originally was their places. White made red an undertone. I mean, white made red mere tints of their past shades when theymodified theirhomes. They wallpapered their teepees with smallpox blankets, and left a trail of tears, by dropping so many bodies shaped red polka dots that littered the snow in this nation’s past pages… But I, toddler taught not to color outside the lines, in this coloring book of life, instead, focus only on separation… Lookcloselyatdifferenceslikesquinted eyes from child whosuffersfrom far-sight… Orlookcloselyatdifferenceslikesquinted eyes from child studying contrast between races. Who’sreflection isfaced with faceofyellowpigmentation. See, white realized that Orientals are ornamental in the advancement of these pages, and so their placement isn’t coincidental… It’s instrumental; only use yellow to brighten rooms amidst college campuses and high schools, and keep them distracted by your actions: Confused, by just giving them a little more room to glow.

Make it appear like this is a partnership in this crayolic painting by giving them a bigger part in this. But the art to this is that white still maintains control of where all the other colors go... See, I thought I was toddler taught not to color outside of lines, in this coloring book of life... But really, I’m just a color placed on page and made not to venture outside my place. Really, I’m just crayola, writing utensil in white hand of author... Writing this issue this black mixed with brown Because I got thoughts to jump the borders... Just so I could get a better view. Because from here… The only news we see is colored... All we see are colors. But the spectrum is limited. We’ve become color-blind from being boxed in this 5-pack system, not understanding that something is missing… Colors were meant to complement… We don’t get that so many bright ideas get lost in the shade ofourconflictsbecausewewon’tblend and mix together by lowering the temperature of our temperaments…

Just look at this coloring book of life…. It’s self-evident that we are all just colors…. And so I ask all my other crayolas: Aren’t you tired of being used by this mad toddler at the dinner table of life, who’sunsatisfied and justtrying togetmore and more to eat? If so, well, then stop acting so neat… It’s time to cross the lines…

Joshua Brown is a writer born and raised on the south side of Chicago, blessed with a passion for Christ. His writings aim to convict and break up the monotony of thought that circulates in the minds of people plagued by a fallen world. ARTICLES | ART | INTERVIEW | BOOK REVIEW | MOSAIC SPOTLIGHT