The Dominant Strain
In the summer of 1964, the Monson Motor Lodge in St. Augustine became a battleground for the soul of a nation. As civil rights protesters swam in a pool labeled "white only," the owner poured a vial of muriatic acid into the water, a vicious chemical fire meant to burn them out. He called it "cleaning the pool."
"The Dominant Strain," reclaims that moment, and asks a searing question: has the method of purification really changed?
"And there’s still bleach in the water
from trying to force out the others...
You’re Floating off to the shallow side."
The acid becomes the ultimate metaphor for a national sickness—the relentless, violent pursuit of a "pure" and shallow gene pool. We trace a line from the literal acid of 1964 to the systemic, bureaucratic "bleach" used today to subtract, erase, and dominate.
This is not a history lesson. It is a mirror. It’s a haunting reminder that the fight for the deep, wide waters of our shared humanity continues, and the dominant strain has always been, and will always be, resilience.
Watch. Remember. Swim Deeper.
Watch the official club mix video here.
#TheDominantStrain #BleachInTheWater #CivilRights #MusicVideo
Part of the Amplified Poetry Collection. Click here for more info about AmplifiedPoetry.com
About Armando
Armando Heredia is a writer, poet, songwriter, artist, and producer.
Armando Heredia is a writer, poet, songwriter, artist, and producer whose work resonates with raw emotional depth, lyrical precision, and a profound exploration of the human experience. His creative output spans multiple mediums, yet at the core of everything he produces is an unmistakable authenticity—a voice that is both deeply personal and universally relatable.
A few things that are important to me.
Creative expression is my ultimate passion.
Creativity isn’t a hobby or pastime for me; it is a way of life.
Amplified Poetry
Modernity is about advancement, about progress and adaptation. Amplified poetry is the collision of poetry and AI.
Creative Writing
Words can provoke, comfort, be the catalyst for change or the call to preservation. A story, a phrase, a verse.
Graphic Design
To translate language into visuals, to interpret a concept into pixels or vectors is an extension of the creative mindset.
Let’s collaborate.
Whatever you’re doing, creativity will make it better.
Current Projects
Creative projects in process or recently completed.
Blog & news
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