I had forgotten this poem I wrote in 2002 when I was going through something pretty hard.
Iβve fallen out of- Iβm no longer yours to- I keep trying to find the right words to tell you Iβm done with βusβ but everytime I try it all feels so inadequate and I fall under a blanket of shame and guilt and I canβt go through with it
picture of how it feels of when I’m asked “what’s your bra size?”
What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.
I hate it when men ask me, βwhatβs your bra size?β itβs like my bust-line invites unwanted and sexist questions and comments about my body and it makes me want to throw up and write about them violently because out of all of the questions in the world to ask ME, a mother, a public health worker, a grocery store clerk, an immigrant, a Peruvian, an American, a friend, a poet, a blogger, a woman, a PERSON- they choose to ask me an awkward question about my body- I used to entertain them and tell them while laughing uncomfortably holding in my disgust and anger for them but now I either ignore them, call them out, or block them my boobs or any part of my body are no longer up for the objectification of others
Lately i reach out to God and the stars to comfort me and reassure me Lately i embrace the universe and the sun for faith and warmth Lately I look in the mirror for the definition of strength and resilience Lately I write my love story filled with the wonders and horrors of love
I wrote this poem in December of 2021. I was kind of angry. Lol.
performing this poem at open mic in October of 2022
Letβs hashtag the fuck out of our imperfect perfect lives smile for the camera but make it look candid this is for instagram after all- we want to present an image of authenticity Authentic needs to look put together and balanced there can be no cracks in our suburban realities no one wants to see tears and frowns letβs continue to act like modern clowns except our lipsticks presents a false smile that hides our misery inside and letβs add a witty caption that spells out live,laugh, love and hashtags about #momlife,#gratitude, and #bestlifeever depression, sadness, and anger has no room in our modern world where we pretend to be perfectly imperfect moms and wives with these amazing and perfect lives letβs continue the facade of authenticity even as we burn inside and want to die we are not just okay but we are fucking fabulous so honey continue to smile for that selfie even as the expectations of modern womanhood continues to burn us all up
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
I used to think I was the poster girl for failure I’m a failure at love, I’m a failure at life, Iβm a failure at everything but all of these are thoughts of a past version of me the version of me who saw herself as a victim the version of me who took comfort in her misery in my middle age I changed that narrative I no longer see myself as a failure I see myself as a person who makes mistakes whoβs deeply flawed, who has caused pain itβs doesnβt make me a loser or a disaster It makes me a human whoβs trying her best to live her life and sometimes that doesnβt always look pretty I now see failure as stepping stone,a learning curve to continue to grow, to continue to evolve to become better and healthier than Iβve been before
Control used to elude me and impulsivity ruled me But the new me no longer loses it Instead I allow myself to feel everything because suppressing my feelings makes me eventually explode onto others and thatβs why I lose almost all of my lovers
I wait and wait for the impossible to happen for me to fall in love again even though Iβve sworn off romance forever because of the catastrophic emotional earthquake that takes place within me everytime a lover stops loving me but the romantic in me refuses to die and wonβt listen to logic she tells me, βit would be truly tragic to deny yourself another love story, you never know, the next one could be your happy endingβ
I’ve made taking selfies at work part of my routine at work I bring style, beauty, and entertainment to my job-they’re lucky to have me
Do you enjoy your job?
Itβs a moody Monday full of dread and adult angst but to work I go even though I donβt want to Iβm rather stay home creating new worlds that bleed from my mind in my sweats and sans bra but bills need to be paid so I put on appropriate attire to face my Monday to Friday hostage situation put on my customer service voice Iβve perfected and turn on my fake positivity all because my passion doesnβt pay the bills yet but it’s okay, i say to myself because this hostage situation is temporary
What do I do with a mind that wonβt quit? It keeps me on this never ending guilt trip These racing thoughts keep me up at night And tell me write, write, write And I want it all to stop the overflowing inspiration from my muse cup But this is who I am and forever will be a bipolar and BPD me trying hard to deal with existing
in order to grow, we must lose parts of ourselves that hold us back from reaching our potential
saying goodbye to the version of me I used to be was uncomfortable and agonizing even as I lost her in parts first came the extra pounds and inches I ran off from the curvy girl who used food as comfort and for a while a stranger stared at me from the mirror as I wondered where my cleavage went or how my waistline got so small then came the spectator and the passenger I lost as I gained confidence and power in sharing my truth, in sharing my art and I became the main character and the driver of my own life finally I lost the princess who held onto others for safety, who relied on others for acceptance and love-she left on a windy October day when she conquered a phobia that haunted her for 15 years saying goodbye to the version of me I used to be was uncomfortable and agonizing but she couldnβt stay around if I wanted to grow, to evolve, to become the mother my children always deserved, to become the woman I always wanted to be