Transcript of Levi Cruz Interview regarding events on October 3, 2021
"Hi, my name is Levi Cruz, and I’m one of the co-organizers of the book Voices in the Shadow. First off, I want to apologize for what happened last weekend, which was on Sunday [October 3]…you know, I guess that ICE found out that, uh, not only ICE, but the GEO administration found out about this book and then…so pretty much, they intercepted the phone call, and um, well…they came in right at the time that I was in the middle of starting to have the interview, and so they took us to chow hall and you know, they kinda went through my stuff looking for the book, which I had given to somebody so they wouldn’t find it…so, um, honestly, this was a retaliation…and you know, it sucks cause I was really looking forward to expressing myself to you guys and, you know, answering a lot of questions, but uh…here we are, about a week later, and I hope you guys understand the situation…
“Well, like I said, I’m 27 years old, I’ve been in jail for a very long time, and you guys read my story, so you kinda know a little bit of myself…pretty much my goal in here at Mesa Verde, since I came here, I try to help as many people as I can…there’s a lot of people that don’t speak English, so I take my time to help them out…not only translating, but I help them as far as filling out their court papers, or…whatever questions they have. And um… I’ve been in this facility for almost two years, and um… I have participated in multiple hunger strikes…trying to get the situation in here better, and right now… GEO supposedly is on a budget, and now they don’t want to give us our money… We work for a dollar every day, and they expect us to do this for free, and pretty much we’ve been on like a labor strike, and they’ve been coming in here… [inaudible]… pretty much what’s going on right now is that they’re mad…[inaudible] cause we just worry about our bunk or our general area, and they do the rest, and so… yeah there’s a lot of things going on, and… we’re kinda like in a frustrating situation, you know…
“I wish I could answer… I know you guys had a lot of questions for me, and I wish I could answer them, but going back to that right, everybody that participated in the book, for the most part they’re still here, and along with Elizabeth and Jared, I think we did a good job… and everybody right here, participating in this book, they’re very cool people, I’m glad I got to work with them and work on this book together… Mr. Salvador [Moncada] spends a lot of time doing his drawings… you know, Mr. Mousa, Mohammed Mousa, he spent a lot of time on this book too, and I mean, I hope you guys enjoy it, and like I said… I want to apologize for what happened last weekend, and hopefully we get another opportunity for speaking in the future, and keeping sharing the art, and keep sharing our stories… and that’s it, I appreciate you guys for taking the time, looking at our art, sharing our stories, and I really want to thank you guys.”
Click to download the audio file: levi_cruz_oct_3_2021.mp4
"Sea of Delusion" by Voices in the Shadow co-organizer William D. Nickel
Dedicated to Jade, Nina, and William.
I'm standing on the shore of contemplation looking out at the horizon wondering,
thinking of how it was and how it could have been sailing into the sunset on a yacht,
the "Forget Me Not"...
In the bay of truth gazing at the sky of illusions
I manifest a fantasy on western skies
memorized
by what I see I set adrift on a memory
bliss in the p.m. dawn with no wind in my sails to hold me, I'm blowing in the wind.
Just a light breeze a gust of wind for my delusion to be,
in the ocean of reality
it's me hindering me.
"Forget Me Not"
I would be lost without you,
so I pray and live for the wind,
my delusion at sea.
"Forget Me Not"
dropping anchor in the shallow deep
as I scope for the harbor rendezvous
wherever I may be.
However long, however old
I declare my cargo of what I hold,
a nine lock jade chest with a dollar worth of gold.
Forget me not
on the darkest day or the brightest night,
through the greatest of days and most loneliest of nights,
my delusions casting wind to my sails, my paradise serenity.
I want to dive into your ocean and see an eclipse from your view,
to be forever young with what was once true.
"Hi, my name is Levi Cruz, and I’m one of the co-organizers of the book Voices in the Shadow. First off, I want to apologize for what happened last weekend, which was on Sunday [October 3]…you know, I guess that ICE found out that, uh, not only ICE, but the GEO administration found out about this book and then…so pretty much, they intercepted the phone call, and um, well…they came in right at the time that I was in the middle of starting to have the interview, and so they took us to chow hall and you know, they kinda went through my stuff looking for the book, which I had given to somebody so they wouldn’t find it…so, um, honestly, this was a retaliation…and you know, it sucks cause I was really looking forward to expressing myself to you guys and, you know, answering a lot of questions, but uh…here we are, about a week later, and I hope you guys understand the situation…
“Well, like I said, I’m 27 years old, I’ve been in jail for a very long time, and you guys read my story, so you kinda know a little bit of myself…pretty much my goal in here at Mesa Verde, since I came here, I try to help as many people as I can…there’s a lot of people that don’t speak English, so I take my time to help them out…not only translating, but I help them as far as filling out their court papers, or…whatever questions they have. And um… I’ve been in this facility for almost two years, and um… I have participated in multiple hunger strikes…trying to get the situation in here better, and right now… GEO supposedly is on a budget, and now they don’t want to give us our money… We work for a dollar every day, and they expect us to do this for free, and pretty much we’ve been on like a labor strike, and they’ve been coming in here… [inaudible]… pretty much what’s going on right now is that they’re mad…[inaudible] cause we just worry about our bunk or our general area, and they do the rest, and so… yeah there’s a lot of things going on, and… we’re kinda like in a frustrating situation, you know…
“I wish I could answer… I know you guys had a lot of questions for me, and I wish I could answer them, but going back to that right, everybody that participated in the book, for the most part they’re still here, and along with Elizabeth and Jared, I think we did a good job… and everybody right here, participating in this book, they’re very cool people, I’m glad I got to work with them and work on this book together… Mr. Salvador [Moncada] spends a lot of time doing his drawings… you know, Mr. Mousa, Mohammed Mousa, he spent a lot of time on this book too, and I mean, I hope you guys enjoy it, and like I said… I want to apologize for what happened last weekend, and hopefully we get another opportunity for speaking in the future, and keeping sharing the art, and keep sharing our stories… and that’s it, I appreciate you guys for taking the time, looking at our art, sharing our stories, and I really want to thank you guys.”
Click to download the audio file: levi_cruz_oct_3_2021.mp4
"Sea of Delusion" by Voices in the Shadow co-organizer William D. Nickel
Dedicated to Jade, Nina, and William.
I'm standing on the shore of contemplation looking out at the horizon wondering,
thinking of how it was and how it could have been sailing into the sunset on a yacht,
the "Forget Me Not"...
In the bay of truth gazing at the sky of illusions
I manifest a fantasy on western skies
memorized
by what I see I set adrift on a memory
bliss in the p.m. dawn with no wind in my sails to hold me, I'm blowing in the wind.
Just a light breeze a gust of wind for my delusion to be,
in the ocean of reality
it's me hindering me.
"Forget Me Not"
I would be lost without you,
so I pray and live for the wind,
my delusion at sea.
"Forget Me Not"
dropping anchor in the shallow deep
as I scope for the harbor rendezvous
wherever I may be.
However long, however old
I declare my cargo of what I hold,
a nine lock jade chest with a dollar worth of gold.
Forget me not
on the darkest day or the brightest night,
through the greatest of days and most loneliest of nights,
my delusions casting wind to my sails, my paradise serenity.
I want to dive into your ocean and see an eclipse from your view,
to be forever young with what was once true.
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