Our Border Villanelle Increased death among those desperate to cross1 Run from those who capitalize on [your]

vulnerability2 We are in search of success, not of loss

On the other side lies a new home, a new job, a new boss They may try to keep me out for their own security But I wont become another body for them to toss

As I keep walking I find myself at a loss Where can I go to find my own security? The persecution continues once across

Look for shade, drink some water, and take a pause Better be quick, speed is your greatest ability Just keep the family in mind as you cross

Where will I go once I am across? Avoid La Migras motels within proximity3 Better to sleep on the street, like the hobo does

Mountz, Alison. Mapping Remote Detention Beyond Walls and Cages. University of Georgia Press. Athens, Georgia. 2013. Print. Pg. 97.
2 3

Ibid. Pg. 93 Davis, Mike. Excavating the Future in Los Angeles. City of Quartz. Vintage books: A Division of Random House, Inc. New York. 1990. Print. Pg.256 In this story Mike Davis describes how the city of Los Angeles has been turned into a kind of fortress. The way the space has been used reflects the attitude of isolation and security of the Los Angeles residents. The line is referring to the motels and apartments that INS has converted into detention facilities for immigrants within LA. These become a new kind of detention center that alleviates the already crowded facilities. Davis points out that many times the neighborhoods where the improvised facilities are placed are unaware their existence. People could be walking by a motel and not even know that immigrants were being held there.

So close to reaching the wonders that lie across We will only get one opportunity Increased death among those desperate to cross We are in search of success, not of loss