City of Asylum
Giving Voice.
Youth Poet Ambassador of Allegheny County 2021-2022
Phoenix Thomas is a 16-year-old rising junior at Westinghouse Arts Academy, where he studies writing. He is a member of his school’s Black Student Union which strives to elevate the Black voices and talents throughout the academy. With his writing, he aims to educate and help others heal. He prides himself on his activism for marginalized communities through participating in local actions for Black lives, volunteering, and writing.
colors of wrath
by Phoenix Thomas
is there not bliss in anger
is it not beautiful
to be so enthralled by an emotion
that not even your body can handle the aftermath
isn’t it wonderful
how pain can mold you
into something that is almost unrecognizable
isn’t it amazing how tears of hurt can
dry faster than a pool of blood
so you think, “maybe the rage isn’t worth it,”
but my god, isn’t it beautiful?
how words can paint a picture
but rage can fill a museum
and you, my friend
have exhausted the space on your canvas
so you cover your hands
in the colors of wrath,
and create a masterpiece so great
that not even you
can recognize your own creation.
