Shenandoah Volume 68, Number 1
Volume 68, Number 1 · Fall 2018
We       the nation’s                                                                 criminal  
                  border security  threaten                     public safety  and  exploit America's  
                               l and            .  

We      the most sophisticated             g       u      n  

We      the     rage                          and           
         grit                        stand                                                 for    cell  
                   s
We use our             power                                                                    to
                                                              exploit   to harm     

To       take                                                and we keep    
the streets
We strive to be the nation’s premier law enforcement agency, targeting individuals and criminal organizations who seek to evade border security; threaten national security and public safety; and exploit America’s legitimate trade, travel and financial systems. We bring the most sophisticated investigative techniques to bear, and we collaborate to outwit our opponents. We have the courage to stand behind our actions and do the right thing even when it is not easy. Our integrity manifests in the highest standards of honesty and conduct, and we strive for excellence in all our efforts, aspiring to the highest standards of performance, professionalism and leadership. We use our unique and powerful combination of law enforcement authorities and access to information to close vulnerabilities that can be exploited to harm our homeland security. Together, we take cross-border criminals off the streets of our communities, and we keep them off the streets.

Brandon Melendez is a Mexican-American poet from California. He is the author of Gold That Frames The Mirror (Write Bloody, 2019), a National Poetry Slam finalist, and best poem winner at the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational (CUPSI). A recipient of the the 2018 Djanikian Scholarship from the Adroit Journal and the 2018 Academy of American Poets Award, his poems can be found in Black Warrior Review, the Journal, Muzzle Magazine, Ninth Letter, PANK, and elsewhere.