Dreams deferred
Laura Sermeño
When I was a child, I only had two dreams. One, become an artist. Second, be a lawyer. Be taken seriously. Move yourself out of poverty. Defend the defenseless. Build a voice for the voiceless or whatever other nonsense I wrote in that college personal statement. Another phrase I conjured in that paper: “Fatherless days turned into years…” Surprisingly, to you, I didn’t get into UCLA because of affirmative action… Or a diversity decision… Nah. I’m actually smarter than you. Genius in a Mexican way You don’t understand. Smart for an American, so you get sent to college and stop having childish dreams of anything relating to art. Whatever set me apart, whatever sets me apart now… I’m happy I quit law school. I kept dreaming No dream deferred American, no meaning Home, a feeling Now I get to deliver these words to you. Now art is everything that I do.



Laura is the author of _born to cry: 2012-2022_, and she will be showcased for the Mobile Data Mag IRL reading at Beyond Baroque in Venice, CA, on January 25, 2025.