I wrote this poem in July of 2023.

a text from an unknown number reminded me of my past
when I was sick with a love addiction
when I gave in to my impulsivity
when I gave my energy freely to anyone
who paid attention to me
I wrote this poem in June of 2023.

As I let go of my self limiting beliefs,
I grieve the woman I used to be
so insecure and unsure of herself
so hesitant to take control and power
Overthinking and catastrophizing constantly
it held me back from living the life of my dreams-
Jealousy and envy filled me up
Scrolling the professional and personal successes
of others on social media
Thinking, βthat could have been meβ
and giving too much importance to the opinions of others
wondering constantly-
βare they judging me?β
It was a toxic story I told myself since the age of 16
and it continued on and on until one day in my middle age
I exploded and decided to fight my inner critic
and challenge everything I thought was wrong with me
slowly, I learned to turn my story around
Slowly, I went from victim to heroine
I wrote this poem in June of 2023.

I want to fast forward to the version of me
whoβs not always in her head
whoβs not struggling to regulate her emotions
whoβs not so fucking jaded and negative
when it comes to love
whoβs not terrified of change
who doesnβt take things personally
I know, I know
I shouldnβt wish to be anyone else
and fully live and enjoy this version of myself
but lately, Iβm having a hard time moving on
to the next level of my life
everything feels so comfortable
everything feels so peaceful
Iβm scared to make any waves and return to chaos
even if I know itβs necessary to get to YOU
the future version of me who embraces change
with courage and bravery
Only this version of can dream of
I wrote this poem in June of 2023.

Iβm a poet, Iβm a writer but when it comes to expressing the romantic in me
I have the hardest time
Iβm great at expressing my anger, my disappointment, my shame
but when it comes to love, I shy away and put my guard up
itβs a mix of trauma and cognitive distortions Iβve held within me
since the age of 16
self limiting beliefs that no man has ever loved or respected me
and failing at all of my love stories no matter
how hard I tried to succeed, no matter how much I accommodated
or changed for my partner, he leaves me
and Iβm left flabbergasted, devastated, traumatized
so embedded and attached to my past tragedies
Iβm apprehensive and hesitant when it comes to trying on someone new.
when to comes to pursuing anything more than friendship
it leaves me in the land of βI donβt know how to fucking do this again
without it breaking meβ
and so I sit still, waiting for my crush to say something, do something
to restart my heart once again
I wrote this poem in June of 2023.

after the thunderstorm came and went
I wrote a hundred poems about what happened
I didnβt know how to process it
and 1 hour in therapy didnβt cut it
the epic flood of grief that followed
and while it may seem excessive and melodramatic
It was either I kept writing
or I kept dreaming of dying
I wrote this poem in June of 2023.

I never paid much attention to where I put my body
I never really cared as long as my sexual needs were met
as long it was called sexy
but this habit hurt me over and over again
Until one day I was trapped and couldnβt breathe
and I watched my body from afar being desecrated
by the person who claimed to love me
after that day-
I grew protective of my precious body
ran away from anyone who might hurt it
my body is too much of a masterpiece
for me to allow it to ever be
defiled and disrespected in the name of βloveβ
escribΓ este poema en junio del 2022.

dΓ©jame en paz porque nuestros encuentros
ya no tienen propΓ³sito
porque ya no me inspiras
y estoy aburrida
de nuestro cuento caΓ³tico
nunca cambiaras
y yo nunca serΓ© la mujer de tu vida
y yo merezco alguien que me trate como algo mΓ‘s
que un escape temporaneo para tu soledad
I wrote this poem in June of 2023.

youβre my small town Iβve outgrown but am afraid to leave
no one seems to understand this
theyβre concerned youβre holding me back
theyβre concerned staying with you stiffens my dreams
and while I know they want whatβs best for me
and I agree with most of what they say
How do I explain to them, itβs more complicated
than Iβve made it out to be
while you are hard to live with
life without you feels almost empty
and while itβs the right thing to do to end our marriage
so we can move forward as a family
itβs still hard to imagine a beginning without you
I wrote this poem in June of 2022.

I called you a villain in my book of lust and love
I never saw your humanity
I never understood how I played my part
in our chaotic and dysfunctional story of love
Instead it was easier to blame you over and over again
It was easier to play the victim
rather than try to accept you as the imperfect human that you are
Rather than to see how you never wanted a βwe;
rather than to accept you just wanted someone sometimes
to not feel so lonely
I wrote this poem in June of 2023.

you love me anxious,insecure, and a hot mess
and love to add fuel to my insecurities and fears
to keep me with you, to control me
and I try and try to break out of this toxic codependency
tied up in a box of good intentions
with your excuse that you know whatβs best for me
when itβs holding me back from realizing my potential
from becoming the most powerful version of myself
it makes me wonder
did you ever really love me
or did you choose me on purpose to build up your ego?
I wrote this poem in June of 2023.

today Iβm being too hard on myself
always thinking about how Iβm not doing enough
about how Iβm not hustling enough
how there are still days when my anxiety
gets the best of me
Iβve tried my hardest to quell my inner critic
but it still visits me when I donβt have enough sleep
or when my inner winter is about to hit
and it points out all of my insecurities
and I try to hack my brain into being confident again
but all I can do is feel disgust and shame
as a new cycle of insanity hits
And if it’s bad enough I cry
or it kicks me in the gut and makes me sick
and my body says enough is enough
thatβs when I finally listen to it-
rest, recharge, understand this is just one day
and not my whole life
I wrote this poem in June of 2020.

He knows how to reach me
in a way no one else can
his tentacles are embedded in me
and itβs hard to escape
Iβve tried and have succeeded
and felt a sense of freedom-
But then
His tentacles reach out
and grab me
it’s useless trying to free myself-
Heβs got a spell over
My mind, my body and my soul
He rules it with lips and his hands
And his body–
And his tentacles are encrusted deep within me–
Will I ever be truly free?
I wrote this poem in May of 2022.

I finally killed the romantic in me
and I feel free and so happy
because me and love are a toxic and explosive combo
that makes me a terrible, crazy and delusional soul
because love always brings out the worst in
and right now, I need peace, I need calm
I need to find stability within
and Iβll never have that as long as I try to hold on to
the romantic in me
Goodbye to love
You never made me feel like I was enough
I wrote this poem in May of 2023.

this didnβt come easily but I finally love myself to the moon and back
it was a hard process after so many years of self loathing
and drowning in my insecurities
I was my own worst enemy constantly focusing and scrutinizing
Every single one of my imperfections
Ugh, Iβm too dumb or too fat or too old
Never did I see myself as a masterpiece of Godβs making until this year
and now Iβve grown to love and accept every version of myself
because despite of all of my mistakes and flaws
Iβm still worthy of all the love in the world