poetry is not my thing

“The white fathers told us: I think, therefore I am. The Black mother within each of us–the poet–whispers in our dreams: I feel, therefore I can be free. Poetry coins the language to express and charter this revolutionary demand, the implementation of that freedom.” (Poetry is Not a Luxury)

It seems at some of my darkest, loneliest, most confusing times, I turn to poetry. I have come to this realization, recently, by rediscovering and opening up journals and going through the attic of my notes app. 

Poetry has never been my thing, but I have been able to put words together and give voice to my emotions due to poetry’s tolerance and boundless range. Poetry is forgiving. Poetry has no requirements.

“Poetry is Not a Luxury” is one of my favorite works by Audre Lorde. The piece is a call to action for women to write poetry, as we have done for centuries, and use it as power. While stumbling across some of my poems, it has dawned on me that I now have the ability to share and give light to my internal thoughts. I now have the platform to fulfill Audre Lorde’s call, and use my poems as power, even if it’s not my strong suit. 

So, I put before you, four poems, dated, untitled, and written with no restraints–giving my words and emotions validation–as my idol told me to.

“amazing grace

how sour her name

shes loud and bold and voices her needs

one who doesn't save a wretch nor king

she’s been lost,

but who hasn’t

she found herself in the early morning

to keep

they kept her blind

but now

she sees”

1/5/22

“Fly me to the moon

Where I can rest my eyes

In the ultimate darkness

I’ll get the best sleep of my life

Because on the moon,

You cant get sensory overload.”

1/2/22

“I am who I am.

Pieces and fragments of who i once was remain

Broken and shattered, of course,

But I am breaking out of my previous mold.

I think the most crucial question is,

Should I keep the pieces for safekeeping?”

12/21/21

“I'm calling myself a genius because I think geniuses think like me, a genius.

I've seen the world take its first steps

I've seen the world take its last breath

I know what you are going to say before you say it and I know what you said before you said it

I've heard humanity’s secrets

The coverups too

I know that somewhere isn't really somewhere but everywhere if we can just get there

I'm a genius because I cracked the fucking code

The one thing they don't tell you about being a genius

However

Is, you lose the fun of being fought,

The sadness of seclusion

The excitement of entering

The pleasure of people

I guess that's why we’re so hard to come by”

4/19/22

“But women have survived. As poets. And there are no new pains. We have felt them all already. We have hidden that fact in the same place where we have hidden our power. They surface in our dreams, and it is our dreams that give us the strength and courage to see, to feel, to speak, and to dare.” (Poetry is Not a Luxury)