A blanket of anger and sadness envelops me as you dispose of me once again I hope this time I learn for good that you only carry destruction and devastation within you that you will never love or care for me that you’re a self absorbed piece of shit A blanket of anger and sadness envelops me And I hate you but I hate myself even more for wasting my time and love on someone who never deserved it for trying to see love and affection that was never there for falling in love with a charismatic coward
maybe it was the outfit that made my uber driver nervous
I couldn’t tell if you were nervous or just an asshole trying to impress me with your knowledge of shakespeare that came off as mansplaning which was so cringe and annoying since I told you I have a degree in English and I had taken two Shakespeare classes maybe you didn’t take me seriously because of how short my dress was or my thigh-high boots caught you off guard is it some sort of abomination for me to be smart and smoking hot that men treat me like I’m a bimbo they need to save or mansplain shit to maybe I should start using it to my advantage play the role of “pretty woman” observe how much men underestimate me and write poetry about it and make it blog content a year later
we’re not promised tomorrow, so we must make the best of our todays- making community with our friends, reconnecting with our roots loving our children with a loud fervor we’re not promised tomorrow, so we must appreciate everything we have the legs that take us on walks and runs the creativity that flows from our minds the laughter shared with loved ones
my heart is full of what ifs? What if it works out? What if I’m not as dumb as I think I am? What If I stop listening to the voices in my head that taunt me-telling me I’m not good enough? What if I’m brave enough today and chase my dreams despite my haters and my inner critic?
I longed and longed and longed to feel whole until I planted my feet on the soil I was born on until I breathed the air my parents and ancestors inhaled until I tasted flavors from almost a lifetime ago I longed and longed and longed to feel whole until I returned to my homeland and it was the piece of the puzzle found I needed to finally complete me
2014 me in the blue hoodie-2023 me in the red dress,
The ME from June of 2014 sends me a message asking, where are you? I tell her, life didn’t go as planned-you’re divorced and looking for a place for your ex but your kids are thriving-your oldest son has his driver’s license and is on his last semester of college Your middle son will graduate from high school this year- and your baby is now taller than you and becoming his own person You’re working 2 jobs and you’re a citizen now and you’ve been to therapy to learn healthier coping mechanisms- you even drive now-you’re independent as fuck and live life on your own terms you’ve even been to Peru twice- You’re learning to follow your intuition and how use discernment in your choices in how you live your life- you’ve discovered your values underneath everything society brainwashed into you and at the end of the day all you want be is a good mom and a good person that’s the extent of your life’s purpose- now that we know who we are our next step is to plan the future we want- we’ll keep on thriving girl-you were the go getter and determined woman in me Even among one of my greatest depressions You still got up and followed your passions- And you laid the foundation-we’ll be okay-I promise I’ll make you proud of me- Love patty
and the roses never wilted, they just transformed into flowers never seen before for a while it looked like they were dying as they slowly turned gray and then black but then they bloomed into something different, a unique kind of beautiful
today I woke up overwhelmed, exhausted and in a fit of rage feeling underappreciated in all of my efforts to move my family forward not remembering the last time I had a full day of rest wondering how to continue this existence of 60 something work weeks, and of course the guilt over not spending enough time with my kids- I was downtrodden with grief and mad at the world until my abuela’s story made its way to a conversation with my coworker and a small light of hope dawned on me if my illiterate and indigenous abuela Mercedes, alone in the world could make generational wealth in the early 1900s despite the racism, the obstacles, and many tragedies faced I, too. will not only survive but will also thrive and continue to shine my light it’s in my bloodline, my ancestry to evolve, push myself forward despite obstacles, mental illness, or life’s tragedies-IT’S UP TO ME! as a Peruvian woman living in America in the 21st century to make the best of what’s been given to me which sometimes feels like the sourest of maize and turn them in the sweetest and tastiest Chicha
look at that Goddess, very awkward, very full of herself
gratitude taste like mami’s sopa de pollo gratitude smells like my lover’s cologne gratitude feels like a warm hug from my son gratitude sounds like my sister’s car in my driveway gratitude looks like me looking at the Goddess in the mirror
Libra season is upon us as summer turns to fall- a year ago, I was returning from my homeland recharged and determined 2 years ago, I was angry and using my rage to fuel my creativity and train for a 5k and 3 years ago, I was a hot and exhausted Emotional mess among the madness of COVID And this Libra season, I’m entering it free from the chains of matrimony and every expectation my parents and society has placed on me This Libra season, I will honor and pay tribute to my abuela Mercedes for the independent and strong woman that she was and celebrate my friends Melia and Quinn’s birthdays show them how grateful I am for their existence This Libra season, I’ll set intentions and manifestations for the next 6 months for the life I dream of and envision For myself and my sons This Libra season I’m determined more than ever to make miracles and magic happen- And prove to myself and anyone who ever doubted me that I’m not just a crazy and savage bitch but I’m also a magical and intelligent one who’s constantly evolving
the plane slowly takes off and I take flight with it I leave behind past troubles,past trauma and go on an adventure to find healing and the best version of myself
mis antepasados me visitan en sueños para darme ánimos, para que no me hunda en mi amargura para que me cubra con esperanza y fe Que nunca pare de mejorar y evolucionar
me haces sentir algo que pensé era imposible y casi me hundo en un mundo de remordimientos Porque olvide mi promesa a nunca ser vulnerable en creer en el amor- pero ya es demasiado tarde, no hay marcha atras estas hincado en mi sueños, mis pensamientos y mi corazón
I used the title of this book to inspire the title of this poem
the evidence of my emotional affair stares back at me- taunting me with a smirk- sexy photos exchanged while both of us were legally bonded to other people flirty emails sent back and forth to satisfy my craving for attention I couldn’t get from my husband It was fun and sexy, wasn’t it? We were our own Gen X, low rent version of Ashley Madison seeing how much both of us could get away with- except that for years, it hurt me and caused me so many trust issues after learning you had been married the entire time of our decade long flirtation and you acted like a psychopath when I confronted you with it- like my feelings of betrayal weren’t valid, and you tried to gaslight me into believing I was a crazy bitch and a few years later, I’m divorced and reflect on our torrid affair and shame takes a hold of me as well as regret over that day in the parking lot of second and charles when I gave into my yearning for you- I try to hold compassion for the atrocity of our infidelity and for the younger version of me who was so selfish and allowed her ego to guide her And allowed herself to continue her pseudo friendship With you- allowing you to use me for emotional labor while you slept next to your wife and lied to her and me I’ve tried for years to find forgiveness for you even empathy, tried to not always see you as villain in my story But forgiveness, compassion, and empathy for you Evades me And I’ve come to the conclusion- You’ll always be the most toxic story in my life- One of the three things in my life I’ll forever regret the one who should have left my life once I made vows to my husband but instead you stood there selfishly pushing your lust driven agenda on me- not respecting my marriage or yours one of the three people in my life I’ll never forgive for the impact of trauma You made on me
I long to run free in a world free from prejudice and pride I long to run free in a world free from judgment and ignorance I long to run free in a world that accepts people like me I long to run free in a world where I’m not hypervigilant about toning myself down