the dark ages 

me encanta salir de noche, 

not because i’m nocturnal or anything, 

but because i love the cover it affords me. 

i love millin’ about in the shadows 

lookin’ over my shoulder to make sure 

a man isn’t following me so he can beat me and rape me. 

i love bein’ afraid for my life ‘cus it shows me i’m alive, 

i love stalkin’ in alleyways and thinkin’ about how one day, 

one day it’ll be illegal to be me. 

i love seeing trans people with grey hair because it shows me that maybe 

i got the chance to live that long. 

i love watchin’ TV and seein’ people argue over my existence 

in between commercials for mickey Ds and turbotax 

‘cus it’s so delightfully fuckin’ absurd. 

i love sneakin’ into seedy clubs and pubs 

and kissin’ whoever the fuck i want 

defying these dumbasses in suits ‘cus they just don’t get it.

they don’t love the night like i do. 

no aman la noche como yo.

About the Author

Ezra Cuevas is a senior Creative Writing major here at Arcadia. He enjoys horror movies, zombies, and long walks on the beach.