becoming

my friend Clay has this neon art sitting vertically in front of me. we are hanging out in his living room in Portland before going out for dinner. I love the piece and ask him where he got it, telling him it sounds/feels Buddhist. then he relays the story. Philip Iosca created and exhibited a body of work inspired by seven young people across the US who independently and tragically ended their lives in 2010 as a result of bullying for being—or being perceived as—gay. Clay lowers his voice to speak of the care Iosca took when directing the art piece's creation, wanting the script to be as close as possible to the writer's, Seth Walsh's, hand .Walsh wrote—"hopefully I come the universe"—it's the last line of his suicide letter.