Sarah Perez-Cruz, age 14
East Los Angeles
In Partnership with Esteban Torres High School (HAAT)
The Void
Darkness fills around
A pool of darkness making it so you are afraid to fall
Void is a myth you always heard of
Go close and it’ll pull you in
You would be left in a pool of darkness with no destination only the sensation of being pulled in
The void is scary, nobody is ever seen again
Although you love the sensation of being pulled in not knowing whether you were taking a left or a right or have hit a dead end
The void is where you are finally alone to think for yourself
Will you even be missed?
As they hold the funeral in your honor the color of the void is there
Everything seems so dark and people are damning the void for taking their sunshine away
Is it sad that to say their sunshine likes the void?
It is her escape from reality where she is normal and no one is shoving their beliefs down her throat
Maybe the void pulled her in because darkness is all she’s ever known
Now she has peace
I have lived in East Los Angeles my entire life. To define who I am I will tell you a few things: I am a pansexual photographer and a poet. I write cringey fanfiction on the internet and I am obsessed with YouTube and bands. In the future, I want to become a speech pathologist and get a minor in graphic design. My biggest inspiration is my sister. She has been with me through thick and thin. I love that with photography, everyone has their own style and the meanings behind their photos. In my photography, I want to spread awareness about the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community and what we go through. When people see my photography, I want them to see the emotion and hard work that was put into creating this message. I want to spread this message because I am a part of the LGBTQ+ community and I want other people to be more aware of everything that surrounds them and open minded about the community. My style in photography seeks to translate what I imagine in the photos. With photography, I can express my emotions and help people say what’s on their minds through a single image.
I believe that with Las Fotos Project, I am one step closer to helping spread my message and I am grateful for even having this experience. Not only did the program help me come out of my shell and meet new people, but it helped me improve my photography skills which I am grateful for. I liked that my mentor reminded me of my older sister by her carrying a journal around all the time. I also liked the fact that if we had questions we could just talk to them about anything in our lives. I hope to join Las Fotos Project again next semester.