Foreword "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" was an idea conceived on the DMs on Twitter. And look at us now. We wondered if anyone outside our closest friends would submit something to our zine. Surprise surprise! Everyone BUT our closest friends submitted. Writers amirite? We're looking at you, ROSE. But they still helped and supported our pink, gun shaped dreams by sharing and liking and retweeting our call until it reached all of our eventual contributors! Our theme, "Weaponize," inspired our contributors to create their own powerful weapons made up of words and colors. Each take, unique and beautiful. We hope you enjoy their pieces as much as we did.
Table of Contents Janeth Torres
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Weaponize
Roxanne Williams
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Wild, Wild West (Everybody Has a Gun)
Jamya Hicks
6
Comb
Tiar Portwood
7
Slice
Alejandra Aguilera
8
Like Bombs
Nadia Solis Valadez
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World at Your Fingertips
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Cover Art
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Contributor's List
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Weaponize At 5,000 feet we stand upon this ground. Our eyes see further than they wish us to see. We pay them no mind. Our eyes document the moments and our hands command our fingers, turning them into memories. It is permanent ink. A weapon which will live forever.
Janeth Torres
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Wild, Wild West (Everybody Has a Gun) Everybody has a gun Cuz everybody takes a bullet You can buy one anywhere You can store one in the air 2nd amendment the founders cry Gun law restrictions at their prime How many Newtown babies to enshrine Before we say there's too much crime? It's the wild, wild west It's the wild, wild west Get yours, get yours, get yours It's the wild, wild west It's the wild, wild west Get yours, get yours, get yours It's the wild, wild west It's the wild, wild west Get some , get some, get some Everybody has a gun Cuz everybody takes a bullet You can buy one anywhere You can store one in the air
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Open carry laws is the way to go Like the wild, wild west all guns in tow I've got my permit, the right to bear arms AR-15. What's the harm? I see San Bernardino. I feel Sandy Hook. I hear Orlando, Colorado Springs, Roseburg, Chattanooga, Charleston, Isla Vista, Ft. Hood, DC, Santa Monica, Brookfield, Minneapolis, Oakcreek, Aurora, Oakland, Blackburn...so many more. Too many more. Too too many mooooooore. It's the wild, wild west It's the wild, wild west Get yours, get yours, get yours It's the wild, wild west It's the wild, wild west Get yours, get yours, get yours It's the wild, wild west It's the wild, wild west Get some , get some, get some
Roxanne Williams
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Comb
Jamya Hicks
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Slice Dangerous you claimed to be I am deadly For I am not the little girl you once hurt Deadlier than your hand on my throat Deadlier than the words that you spoke For I am not the little girl you once hurt Months, I spent recovering Years, I spent resenting For I am not the little girl you once hurt I swore you were the scariest being on this cruel earth Clearly I didn't know how strong I'd become For I am not the little girl you once hurt
Tiar Portwood
7
Like Bombs He begs for his life at the end of the bed with my legs like knifes to his chest In this space, we’re equals not the workforce his 5 o’clock scratches my surface, a world my claws can draw blood but don’t anymore. I’ve learned. I leave my mark as an explosion an O-face a bomb crater in this world.
Alejandra Aguilera
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World at Your Fingertips It was when she was fooling around with her friends that she noticed. She mimed shooting at a leaf above her, proving a silly point in a silly argument. But when she shot it, it fluttered to the ground. Her friends had already moved onto another topic but she was left under the courtyard tree, watching a lone leaf flutter to the ground. It's stem was a healthy green and in the middle of the small delicate veins was a perfect circle. She was afraid to make so much as a gesture after that. It kept her up though, until she waited as her parents shuffled to bed and she could sneak out to the backyard. She tried it with all her fingers and pointed it at the maple they had. Only her pointer finger could shoot. And only her thumb could cock her 'gun'. At two in the morning, with two weapons in her hands and piles of leaves with holes in them, she stared at her hands until her eyelids grew heavy. Of course, she became the talk of the elementary school playground. Older students who didn't believe her were
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cowed by a show of sharpshooting. She would even point it at them to see them flinch back. However, she would still go to her backyard and practice her aim with her own tree to impress the kids during recess. Looking down at the delicate leaves and the browned, shriveled remains of the old ones she felt a crawling hesitation latch onto everything in her belly. She would notice the same delicate veins in the soft fleshy arms of her friends and slowly started pointing it at people less and less. Content to let the surrounding greenery bear the brunt of her tricks. Just as sudden as this strange power came, it left. No matter how many times she pointed and clicked, nothing happened. Stretching, massaging and cracking her knuckles did nothing. There were some disappointed mutterings about the elementary playground and the older kids were quick to reassert their places as top tier. Her small group of friends all agreed it was the coolest thing they'd ever seen and moved
on. Everyone did in the end and soon many forgot it even happened. Even her. It was when they were in high school that she remembered. Just like the first time, it came upon her for a small thing. Her friend was in an argument with her boyfriend, it was awkward for all of them, but she knew afterwards her friend would cry and she couldn't leave her alone now. But when he yelled about what a bitch of a girlfriend she could be, that's when she stepped in between them. Automatically, her finger lifted to his face, thumb poised to click down. She didn't know what look she had on her face but staring down someone five feet and four inches with glittery pink nail polish effectively holding him at fingerpoint was enough to have him stepping back. Seeing the looks from her friends, a mix of curious and alarmed, he stepped back and continued until he walked off in a subdued huff. They remembered as well it seemed. It was then her friend burst into tears behind her. *
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After the drama of high school lunch period, she walked home staring at her hand. It wouldn't have shot. She knows without trying. That strange power would probably never come back to her. But. But, she murmured to herself, painting her index fingernail a warning bright red. It might not need to.
Nadia Solis Valadez
Cover
Nadia Solis Valadez
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Contributors Janeth Torres is a writer/poet who calls San Bernardino home. Daily, she brings her poems and musings to life on her typewriters. She almost owns a dozen and each of them help her capture the simple beauty of the city she lives in, her citizens, and the dangers lurking in her streets. Find her on IG @carousel.musings Roxanne Williams Her employee badge says, "Educator", but her heart says Activist. Mother of 5 children and award-winning Science Teacher/Professor. Roxanne works in the San Bernardino School District in education. She considers herself a mover and a shaker who is looking for other visionaries to affect change. Find her on Twitter @roxanne_council and IG @roxannewilliamsforcouncil Jamya Hicks is currently a junior in highschool. It's been a dream for her to show the world a version of itself from her point of view through animation, and through pieces like this. Follow her on IG @kno.buo and Twitter @kno.buo Tiar Portwood is a model, actress and poet by sheer nature. Standing apart in her own way and completely unafraid of exploring the sometimes frightening experiences that come along with a good story, the only way to describe her work is ‘honest’. With her second book in the works, she plans on taking the world through her storm. Follow her on IG @tiarport Alejandra Aguilera started writing poetry at 18 after reading T. S. Eliot. Now she spends her days working 10 hour days, doing fashion shoots with a cheap tripod and writing poetry on random pieces of paper covered in Cheeto dust. Get a dose of her on IG @dinomitegirl Nadia Solis Valadez is an terrifying amalgam of artist, writer and scientist. She enjoys puns and has started releasing her zines into the unsuspecting world. Find her on Twitter as @AzerSolis and check out her art and other writings on Tumblr @azer-art !
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A Word of Advice Never run away from your problems. You're strong. Maybe you think you are more sensitive than others or you feel weak, but that isn't true. You're strong because you're made it this far. When problems arise, you grab your weapons and fight. Even if your weapon is a pen and your fight is with your mind.
For  questions or comments, please contact Alejandra Aguilera at: a.aguilera027@gmail.com