He’ll ask me, “How are you? And I wanted to say– “Miserable. Bad. sad. I hate you. I wished for your death a thousand times. I miss you. I love you.” Instead, I said, “I’m okay” And in the silence between our texts I wondered “Why? Why did he come back? Why did I let him back in ? Why do I love him?”
I wash my hands of all my past sins my wrongs never defined me It was a toxic narrative I swallowed whole when I was addicted to suffering and being a martyr
their used knicknacks, their used clothes their used whatever is taking up too much space in their closet or garage all of this is given to their browner and poorer counterparts act like ever act of charity will bring them one step closer to heaven when at times their recipients feel like it’s a act of condescension, arrogance a way to remind them where they belong a way to remind them of their working class status the haves need the have nots to have someone to feel superior to while the have nots cannot escape the cycle of poverty due to the greed of the haves
my dreamy pisces energy has gotten me in more trouble than it was worth always viewing things in extremes always making devils and angels out of people who are really just mortals my dreamy pisces energy is either my biggest curse or my biggest blessing depending on the season, the weather or the day
I can’t live without you another day But I have to stay away You are now part of my past To you, I was another piece of ass Even though I wish your love was mine Without you, I will be just fine Because no matter how weak I get The memory of you, I must learn to forget So with these few words I may win the war On loving you no more
Happy World Poetry day! Lately, I’ve been reflecting a lot about how my relationship with poetry has changed the past few years. I’ve always said poetry-reading and writing it has been a type of therapy for me. And while, this is still true, this relationship has evolved in me finding community with other poets online and in real life. I’m actually really lucky that I’m able to call a few of them my friends. This community has also helped me become a better poet in many ways. With all that being said, I wanted to share a few poems I’ve written about this community and how it’s impacted me.
tonight
we gather here tonight to share the most vulnerable parts of ourselves through poems written on a whim, in cars, inspired by dreams and tragedies and everything in between some of it will be meaningful some of it will be nonsense most of the time, it will be someone trying to make sense of the world with a few phrases and sentences clumsily strung together and calling it poetry
1/2/24
me at the open mic in May
finding community in athens
when I finally took myself seriously as a poet and writer, I was 40 before that I thought I was some cute and crazy girl who used poetry and stories to express on paper whatever she couldn’t burden loved ones with but now at 40, between the july heat and mental health diagnosis I had a nervous breakdown and I used my creativity to get through it so I started blogging and used my poetry as content I had no idea anyone would like it, resonate with it and subscribe to it and after a year, I went back to open mic and keep going and bared my most vulnerable and intimate thoughts this lead to me finding community with the local poets of Athens and it’s what I had always wanted but was always too scared, too insecure to seek out and also too busy with everything else in my life but one day I got tired and finally embraced the fire of my creativity and decided to share the artist in me with the world once I did that, I created a community and eventually found a community of writers and poets who accept me, encourage me, and inspire me
2/20/24
me at the open mic in September
safe harbor
I landed in my safe harbor after I almost drowned and I’m greeted by strangers who welcome me with open arms they don’t turn away or tell me I’m too much when I tell them my lore of trauma through poetry they applaud me, they accept me, they encourage me they’re the sanctuary I’ve been searching for since I can remember these strangers who call themselves poets have now become my chosen family
that cabinet also brings purpose to my life- it holds almost all of my stories
Open mics, family, karaoke nights, dance parties, Tarot readings, poems written on sticky notes, Epiphany after epiphany about how I have always been worthy, Long conversation about life in coffee shops, Trips to my dad’s hometown, sharing silly verses with friends making dumb videos, coffee cups that say main character energy dancing in car while I drive, taking picture of the moon and everything else that brings me joy, and every single experienced Ive lived, every single person I’ve loved is what my life’s purpose is about It’s joy,hate, love, anger, empathy, envy it all brings purpose to my wretched everyday existence
“it’s a quarter after one, I’m all alone and I need you now”- Lady A
I hope that when you hear that song, you think of that moment when you sat across from me in that restaurant and you saw my inner conflict residing inside of me And you gave me permission to leave and then you touched my hand as that song played our spark was ignited, and it was too late I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave I needed to continue our chaotic whatevership
” I was your willing accomplice, honey”- Olivia Rodrigo
Your love comes and goes like the most sudden and violent gusts of wind I try to stay in my calm and peaceful place But I am swept away in your chaos that bring me to the highest mountain of lust,intimacy, and love I want to stay here I want to die here in the heaven that is your arms and your lips But you continually push me away You dispose of me like trash not caring about my inner destruction You break me heart into millions of pieces Everytime I try to give myself to you Your love, your toxic love Swallows me up and spits me up out only to break me over and over again
“psychopathic, don’t be so dramatic, we had magic, but you made it tragic”- Conan Gray
He comes with false promises of respect and easy and uncomplicated lust He promises never to hurt you but it’s all a game to get for him to get laid He just wants to use you for a hit and run Once he’s done with you He’ll discard you like trash He’ll never see you as a person He’ll only see you was a receptacle for his cum He’ll only see you as an object of lust and at times he’ll even claim to love you when he sees he’s losing the toxic spell he’s placed on you but once he’s got you in his bed He’ll forget about you the next day So it’s best to stop his emotionally poisonous game that leaves you always feeling worthless in the end and delete and block his number and forget about the fuckboy once and for all
I wasted too much time in comparing myself to other women and blaming them when my exes chose them and allowed my jealousy and rage to speak for me Never understanding how they were all just innocent bystanders in my complicated and chaotic love stories I’m sorry, I didn’t know any better and I wasn’t mature enough to take accountability and it was easier to use y’all as scapegoats when I lost war after war of love- It was easier to say you won because I wasn’t educated and white like you In reality, I should’ve used my ammunition only towards my exes It was never y’alls fight to be a part of even if some of them used y’all as an excuse for their departure I’m so sorry, anna, david’s ex-wife, my ex metamours, maybe my message will come to you in a dream or you’ll see this poem in my blog one day and be able to forgive me
Trust in love is a concept lost to me I can’t imagine giving my heart to anyone else I can’t imagine being vulnerable with anyone else and it’s insanity to keep allowing myself to trust and love when all I do is lose, lose, lose I don’t know how to cope when a love song stops while I’m still dancing
Seeds of resentment and anger creeps up in my throat Men who claim to care and love me just want to control me And me, well i’m just a weak thing, a rag doll To be used at their convenience, Be a nice girl, be a good girl, be a sweet girl Work hard and play by the rules of their game Be kind, be submissive, be sexy
Seeds of resentment and anger creeps up in my throat And I want to be burn them all down With my actions, with my words, with a tweet I can’t be controlled or stay submissive For I am too powerful, too crazy, too opinionated To be tied to this illusion and false idea They want to have of me I am a bitch, a vixen, a bad ass I own my sexuality, my independence, my life And no one, no one can ever own m