Poem: Then What?

Graphic: Displays the inside of a cell encompassed by dreamlike clouds with a single open window to the outside world
 
Background: This piece was inspired by the abolitionist goals of not only deconstructing systems of oppression but also imagining and building new ways of approaching justice and security. It is a response to individuals who are not necessarily invested in systems of incarceration and state sanctioned violence, but have a hard time imagining a new way. Those who ask questions like “Can we get rid of prisons and policing all together?” or “Does this mean I can never call the cops if my life is in danger?” (Kaba 2021). The central question of my artistic reflection is how do we break free from the chains of reality to invoke our radical imaginations.