#zined

My breath left my body. Fear strangled me. I was without words and the next breath would be heavier than the one before. Victory was certain and my sense of reality, fading. The solitude of the night gave me space to reflect as I ran across my college campus to check in with my friends. And when we found each other we held one another, tears in our eyes, heads at our chests, hand in hand. We committed to each other our humanity. We affirmed that we would get through this, somehow, with undying commitment to one another.  Breath entered my body. Fear loosened its grip. My inside filled with words and breathing became easier. Victory was declared and my sense of reality, clear. Alone in my thoughts, in the arms of loved ones, witnessing others speak their truths—it all became clear. Everyday of my life has been a battle and it will continue to be so. I’ve survived 524 years and I will survive 524 more.  They will/have come for our humanity. They will not have it. by Esteban Cabrera Durán

by Crisanto Cimatu

by Nicole Rodrigues

You wake up, 2 am, knowing that the first woman president has been elected. Jolted from your dreams, you feel a smile spread on your lips, elation in your chest. It fills you up to your fingertips, a high that you hope will never come down. Snuggled in your covers, you think about how you will tell your grandchildren how it felt. Slowly the high recedes, and relief takes its place. A campaign based on hate and fear was beaten. You don't have to worry about where to get your birth control. You don't have have to worry about your right to choose being taken away, at least not for another four years. The world is not perfect, but at least some of that fear, the fears that form as a pile of black seeds in your stomach, will be gone. Smiling, you check the news on your phone. Your stomach contracts. Your gut twists. The seeds grow. You don't go back to sleep. by Elizabeth DeKok