
What was the last thing you did for play or fun?


What was the last thing you did for play or fun?

I wrote this poem in December of 2023.

the breakup was always a larger than life event in my mind
because of the catastrophic pain it caused
because it was someone I thought could be my forever
so when he gave me the electronic pink slip
I used it as a catalyst for change
I broke away with my idea of what made me attractive
and accessible to men, andΒ instead, I focused on what made me feel good about myself
and learned to accept myself as the complicated and crazy
woman that I am
I finally understood I was always a Queen
Underneath layers of princess skin
Armed myself with poetry and confidence
that breakup changed me like previous breakups did
however, this one was the key to the transformation
I needed to become the woman I was always meant to be
Do you ever see wild animals?


I wrote this poem in December of 2023.

I have a bad habit of making poetry out of almost anything
itβs annoying, itβs cringe, and downright embarrassing at times
how shameless I can be
it teethers between the line of genius and insanity
This monster of creativity of mine
from trauma to my kids to childhood memories
To the latest villain in my story to office supplies
To my dreams to the trees to the clouds
To my kroger apron to energy drinks
To that ex from my 20s
No one and nothing is saved from being used
as a fountain of inspiration for my creativity
Sometimes itβs a curse, sometimes itβs a blessing
Most of the time, itβs just downright entertaining
I wrote this poem in December of 2023.

in my island of solitude, I drift further
and further away from romantic love
when Iβve tried to invite others to my island
they always left, and it drove me into hysterics
making a catastrophic emotional mess of me
so now I float alone on my island of solitude
and have erected walls of strength and confidence around it
I will not allow another soul to break them down
only to later leave on a whim, leaving me in pieces once again
I wrote this poem in November of 2023.

Is it really so bad to assist others in ending their lives?
couldnβt it be seen as a final act of love?
to help them die with dignity and on their own terms
without machines and tubes delaying the inevitable
without anyoneβs say over the little autonomy
they still have left
I wrote this poem in November of 2023.

google makes collages of how Iβve compartmentalize my life
throughout the years-
next to a pic of me and my ex is a pic of me and my son
then a pic of me and my friend
for a long time these realities
couldnβt exist in one frame-
it was blasphemous in my mind
for one reality to bleed into another
I never understood how this was killing my sense of identity
and inner emotional stability
That old version of me wanted everything
kids, love, sex, fun, drugs, and alcohol
to be many different people at the same time
mother, vixen, friend, basket case
and everything in between
to be accepted, to loved
and all of this compartmentalization
lead to the worst inner chaos and turmoil
It was emotional torture
I couldnβt bring myself to acknowledge
until one day I had a mental breakdown
because of it
I wrote this poem in November of 2023.

with solitude comes clarity and peace of mind
I no longer rely on the actions of words of others
to validate my existence
I no longer feel like less of a person
because of the whims of others
with solitude comes an understanding
that being alone is the best way for me
to succeed in my recovery journey
because any extra energy derails me
from the woman of worth Iβm becoming
I wrote this poem in October of 2023.

Iβm starting to radically accept someone like me
will always be judged differently from my peers
it doesnβt matter how many degrees I have-
how much I code switch to fit in-
it will never be enough to be truly accepted
so Iβll smile and nod while they complain
about ivory tower problems
while I roll my eyes inside my mind-
man, I really wish I had your problems Susan
but I got to go to my second job now
I wrote this poem in October of 2023.

I give you a yard, and you give me an inch-
itβs a game of back and forth nonsense
one where I respect your unspoken boundaries
and need for space
until one day the push back from you
pulled back into a dark place I havenβt been in a while
a place where my confidence breaks, a place where I start to question my worth
a place when my sense of self breaks once again
and I know right there, and then, itβs better to give up
whatever this was
Iβve outgrown men who send me mixed signals
I wrote this poem in October of 2022.

were we the bonnie and clyde of toxic relationships ?
you setting up and detonating love bombs in my heart
and making me explode in rage every time you left
and me encouraging you with every reunion
because I loved you, because I didnβt want to be alone
so I went along with your emotional crimes every time
Until one day, I learned my worth
and blocked your energy from my universe
I wrote this poem in October of 2023.

I cry over my fries while I write nonsense
because nothing makes sense
Iβve worked so hard to change my narrative
of mental illness
so hard to create a new story of strength
and resilience where Iβm the heroine
but tragically Iβm a falling victim again
to depression, anxiety, BPD, and whatever
the fuck else it is wrong with me
and I wish to make myself small enough
to disappear into a mist of nothingness
because lately it hurts too much to exists
I wrote this poem in December of 2022.

I try on grace and self compassion thinking of the many times
I wanted to be someone else
Mirroring my sister and my best friends to escape from myself
never thinking I was enough-
I even tried to be like my former metamours-
so smart, so pretty, so American
they were placed on pedestals by my exes
so of course I wanted to be like them-
never understood how I never stood a chance
and how nothing I did would matter
my exes always chose them
they were safe,predictable and shared their background
everything I was never going to be
so I chose to embrace who I really am
a woman with a chaotic history who feels everything with a magnitude of intensity
a woman who no longer mirrors others to gain a sense of identity
I now stand firm in the authenticity of my duality
I embrace my God given gift of my creativity and share it shamelessly
thereβs no turning back now that Iβm fully me
and I no longer care who loves and accepts me
I wrote this poem in October of 2023.

I sought solace in friends last night
and everyone was busy or asleep
so I cried hysterically in the middle
of the street, and then in the diner
over my fries, and finally in my uber ride
Strangers kept asking me if I was okay
one even offered me a ride
even in my worst moments of crises,
I always find a way to survive
even when Iβm in the thick fog
of a mental breakdown
I know now how to take care
of myself and keep myself safe
maybe that was the lesson the universe
sent last night
even in my most hopeless of times
I will always find a way to survive
and eventually be okay
I wrote this poem in September of 2023.

The ME from June of 2014 sends me a message asking, where are you?
I tell her, life didnβt go as planned-youβre divorced and looking for a place for your ex
but your kids are thriving-your oldest son has his driverβs 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
Youβre working 2 jobs and youβre a citizen now and youβve been to therapy
to learn healthier coping mechanisms-
you even drive now-youβre independent as fuck and live life on your own terms
youβve even been to Peru twice-
Youβre learning to follow your intuition and how use discernment in your choices
in how you live your life-
youβve 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
thatβs the extent of your lifeβs purpose-
now that we know who we are
our next step is to plan the future we want-
weβll 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-weβll be okay-I promise
Iβll make you proud of me-
Love patty