Printmaking by Yechang Liu
Look behind that pearly smile
and see the vision:
a man, a king, that could sing for anything he wanted.
But he couldn’t have that one girl.
Behind his black eyes, he often thinks,
“I don’t need no dreams when I’m by your side”
But reality says back “Really just a waste of time.”
Fame’s a ghost with smooth moves,
and he’s dancing with it,
but he can’t keep up because
You cannot have her.
“She likes the way I stare,”
But the girl isn’t yours.
Courtesy of Smithsonian
“Billie Jean is not my lover,”
he says to the paint,
and Warhol already knows,
Truth and rumor wear the same shade of red.
like a thriller night’s moon.
If you let the truth unfurl,
you’ll see it:
a man made of sound,
still trying to heal the world
from behind a perfect, painted smile.
Biography
My name is Antonia Fierro Peralta and I’m a freshman. I am Brazilian and Colombian and I was born in London. Around the age of seven, my family and I moved to the U.S. I love writing short stories and always intertwine them with personal experiences. In my free time, I listen to music from my favorite artists like Michael Jackson. I enjoy hanging out with my friends and they describe me as very determined and caring. I love playing volleyball and traveling to explore new cultures.
What is your main source of inspiration?
My main source of inspiration is my own life. I find my journey so special because I’ve been able to overcome so many obstacles and yet enjoy everything to the fullest. I am very aware of my emotions and use them as influence when it comes to my writing, and I think that’s why my really personal works are my strongest and most impactful. I think everyone’s life story should be told, whether they’re a world-famous person or just your neighbor.
What motivated you to write this piece, and what is its message?
I have always been a huge Michael Jackson fan and wanted to incorporate my passion for music in poetry. I wanted to write a piece that made sense to anyone, not just MJ listeners. Bringing in references and quotes from his songs was what I think made this work really tight and gave the reader a full circle kind of moment. I think the message of this poem was to show how Jackson’s life was full of success, but that led to his confinement, unable to escape reality.
