Notes from the Margins of Your Press Release by Jason Palomino

Notes from the Margins of Your Press Release
by Jason Palomino

The arts scene unveiled a new initiative:
“Equity Through Installations.”
A soft-lit exhibit of glass teardrops
suspended mid-air—
each one curated pain,
pre-approved for funding.

The opening night was standing-room only.
No one asked
why the janitor's timecard
wasn’t signed that week.
Across town,
a roundtable on labor
featured five freelancers
who’d been paid in exposure
and one professor
who referenced Gramsci
but never tipped.
Footnote: The revolution will not be reimbursed.
Meanwhile, a headline whispers:
“Local Man Dies in Eviction Dispute.”
Underneath, an autoplay video
about how to “optimize your morning routine.”
And on it goes.
Language polished like countertops—
inclusive, visionary, lightly carbon-neutral—
while the floorboards creak
under silenced names
and unpaid debts.
We were told
the margins were where the magic lives.
Turns out,
it’s also where they dump the receipts.

Hear Jason recite the poem on the Viewless Wings Poetry Podcast:

Jason Palomino is an abstract artist and poet exploring themes of faith, solitude, and transformation. Through layered textures and reflective verse, his work invites stillness and deeper connection to the unseen. Rooted in the landscapes of the Hudson Valley and the inner terrain of the soul, Jason creates to express what words or images alone cannot—offering a space for reflection, honesty, and renewal.