By Daniel Paiz

2025 has had quite a start, and part of the goal of the never-ending news cycles and focus on bad news is to tire folks out. It is not surprising that some folks are exhausted already and might even be short of breath in numerous ways. It’s important to take care of oneself, to create, to get outside and inhale fresh air; there’s a lot to do that can help one get through life.

Creating art, poetry, etc. is another way to process and whatnot. There are also times when that creative process leads one to sharing helpful info as well. Knowing one’s rights is also very important. Scroll below for some poetry and helpful info.

Short of Breath

So many forms of air

can readily throttle one’s ability to breathe,

from too much humidity to constant dryness,

nature knows how to impede,

believe it or not,

regardless of your hidden or nonexistent smoking habits,

it’s true,

hexavalent concoctions are very near you,

thank carcinogens, ash, and other chemicals too.

But remember the shiny lights,

glistening bars of metal,

fabricated lights

blasted through lens for masses to purview,

the show of course

must go on,

with an element of fundraising to boot.

Despite a few chomping bits of action,

even 13 thousand more involved had viewers less than impressed,

baffling how miles and miles away many are short of breath.

Difficulty gasping despite no blazes afoot,

those cinders dried days ago

when the last brick crumbled loose.

Neighbors return to memories distorted

by rubble in this hue,

where hopes and dreams somehow were envisioned beyond brutal truths.

“American Dream” was marketed so lavishly,

decades and decades of plugging it around this orb so blue,

truly the American Nightmare

was mapped out very differently than the Rhodes version Americans knew.

Now protest is to return in fashion largely because of elephants bruised,

no such tusks have existed to represent these Oval egos,

extinct these beliefs must go, avoid at all costs fully repeating what’s exhumed.

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If you are someone interested in learning more about your rights, here is some general information to read and check out:

https://coloradoimmigrant.org/our-work/know-your-rights/

This info is specific to the state of Colorado, but links at the bottom of the page listed above also give general info. There are links in English, Spanish, French, and Creole listed on the CIRC website. These are troubling times, but the more info you have, the better prepared one can be. Know your rights and share with those who could use this information.