The Writer’s Corner features poetry, essays, short stories, satire and various fiction and non-fiction from SCAD Atlanta students. To submit your own work for the Writer’s Corner, email features@scadconnector.com.
‘Columbus Day’ by Alejandro Bastidas
Imagine that I cut your hands off.
You will never forget the name of someone who cut your hands off. Now let’s pretend that I make a beautiful work of art using the remnants of your severed hands: the phalanges, the dry blood, the broken nails and the damaged skin. All part of a mosaic that no longer belongs to you but was crafted with your pain. I erased that pain. Your hands are just another material in the composition. The entire world praised me for it. They immortalized my image and elevated every accomplishment (chop chop chop) in a great pedestal that looks like it’s made of marble but it’s all bone underneath.
After I receive my laurels and live a glorious life of emeralds and gold, with two strong hands to hold the riches, you are told to celebrate and honor me. You will your little hands chopped off so they could be a part of something so much greater than you. You have no name. You have no face. You have no significance. This is why nobody will mark your grave. But mine is sublime and sheltered by God, and therefore eternal.
You’re upset. But why express such anger if what I did to you is part of your own history? Why would you break my symbols and desecrate my bronze bodies? It’s disrespectful. Borderline vandalism! To step into a place without any jurisdiction with the sole purpose of destroying what was already there. Get over it, yeah? It happened a long time ago and the only thing worth rescuing from that period is my artwork, my legacy, but to preserve the tradition of the victors it must be a little bit altered. If anything you should be thankful for everything. You can barely feel the phantom pains anymore.