not much of choice, get married or become a whore at 19, she was trapped between a sword and another sword either way sheβs trapped and kept away from the life she really wanted to live either way, her fate would be sealed with her ink of shame
I wrote this poem in January of 2020. Maybe I was mad at the patriarchy or just feeling weighed down by the expectations that society has on women. I know that for me, it has been a huge burden at times to constantly keep up an appearance that I am put together balanced woman even if I am falling apart.
me in January of 2020
The strength we have to carry as women is obscene Endless expectations weigh on us generation after generation We are buried in the burdens that society has placed on us since before we were born Be pretty but donβt show your body Be smart but we donβt want your opinion Be motherly and nurturing but still a working and productive member of society It is a never ending nightmare to try to reach the ridiculous standards placed upon our beauty, wealth, and motherhood Some of us seem to do it with grace Some of us are barely hanging on by a thread Quite a few of us would rather die than continue with the facade and the myth of a balanced woman.
the more I disconnected from motherhood and compartmentalize my life the more damage I did to myself and others taking accountability and bonding with my children is necessary for healing
Fuck you google photos for reminding me of my past trauma and happiness I want to move the fuck on-live in my present-plan for my future and youβre here reminding me of someone I long to forget- βMemories togetherβ more like βtrauma bonding togetherβ or βfabulously failing at this relationship togetherβ How many years must past before you stop reminding me of my love fiascos
I tell my son Iβm proud of you and heβs like why, because Iβm alive I nervously laugh even though my heart aches over what he said Why does America like to play Russian roulette with its children Why canβt I have a normal conversation with my kid over too much screen time and reminding him to brush his teeth instead of conversation over what he should do in a mass shooting
Home is my son’s laughter after a hard day home is the sun on my skin while I run home is peace and Tranquility after years of Chaos home is letting other see the real me and not some fake personality
to see my american dream I just need to step into my backyard and look at my holy trinity who call me mom theyβre the ones I try to better myself for theyβre the one who make my immigrant existence worth living for theyβre my american dream wrapped up in burps, dark humor and love
I wanted you but God wanted you more Perhaps you were an angel not meant for earth Perhaps you were a hard a lesson in grief and loss That I needed to learn A lesson that I should never take love and hope for grant No matter how brief the stay is A lesson that your heart can break within a span of a few minutes A lesson in surviving what you think is unsurvivable
Children should be seen, and not heard is one tradition Iβll never keep It would mean invalidating my childrenβs feelings It would mean for them to have years of therapy trying to find their sense of identity It would mean to reduce them to shadows who only speak when spoken to It would mean passing them the torch of a generational curse that makes them question their self-worth over and over again So everyone can judge me or criticize my parenting all they want I like my children to not just be seen but also heard even if itβs sometimes loud and boisterous even if it sometimes sounds disrespectful Itβs important for their emotional growth, for their confidence and to break and heal the generational curse where children are silenced
me and my boys-one of the major reasons I’m determined to be the strongest and most empowered woman in their lives
Our children pay attention to the stories we tell ourselves I noticed when my sonβs heart broke for the first time and it awakened a deep catharsis within me I would no longer hold onto my victim story the one where I tell myself, βIβm worthless, Iβm not good enough, Iβm unlovableβ Instead Iβll walk with confidence and all of the self love I can muster up for myself maybe just maybe if I can model this type of healthy behavior the cycle of generational self loathing and self destruction will finally be broken And my children has a chance of living a life filled with more joy and contentment than mental illness