#poetelixir
My sister had her last baby today. She waited the whole nine months to find out the gender, much to my mother’s dismay. I bought her baby clothes that were grays and blues and greens, not caring about who it would be. Love can always be felt for others, even at nine months away.
As a half-assed writer, I have to think about my sister when she had my niece 8 years ago. She was living in our parents house and dealing with the awful reality of a man that wasn’t ready to be a father, and parents that still weren’t ready to be parents. I remember being 13 and so afraid for her, going to the library at lunch and reading up on affordable housing and food stamps and child birth. I wrote her thousands of notes with words of encouragement before she went to work everyday. It was always like that between she and I, taking care of each other in our own ways.
Our mother was checked out back then, so my sister made it her own job. She taught me how to tie my shoes and make myself breakfast. She showed me how style my hair and my favorite Maroon 5 songs. She was rebellious and I wanted to be her so badly. The “I love you’s” came easy. We were each other’s first example of unconditional love.
I’m 22 now and she’s 30. We’ve grown up in separate ways and things aren’t as black and white as they used to be. She’s got her own little family and a peace about her that’s unfamiliar. I’m just starting to figure out my own worth and place in this universe. A few months back, she told me that she knew she wanted to be a mom when I was born. She said that I always told her that she was special and that she was beautiful, and even on the bad days, she kept going for me and our other siblings. I’d never known that until now.
My sister had her last baby today. I feel complete in knowing that I was her first.
to Alyssa, the best mom I’ve known // hnl 2020
Oh, it never mattered to me anyway
don’t cry me a river
just to wash me down the drain
notthing mattered, nothing earned or gained
everything to lose on a hot summer day
-
maybe it’s time to let go
of what wasn’t meant to stay
girl on fire, whispers the universe
you’re gonna light up rooms with your smile
everything mattered,
every blood stain
every masarca trail down your face
there’s no better place, I’d like to imagine
spit out the bitter taste
at least it happened
poetry on the front porch step // hnl 2020
Breathe in, breathe out
some days it’s harder to remember
that this is my body, my lungs
that no one has control over me
but me
Breathe in, breathe out
I reflect on what triggers me
and try to let go of whatever has a hold
on my spirit
sometimes the anger is so overwhelming
Breathe in, breathe out
my mind is in a healthier place
my inner child is healing as I write this
she reminds me that these feelings will pass
as long as I
breathe in, breathe out
what makes you angry? // hnl 2020
The tarot deck speaks to me-
major arcana; the fool
I thought you’d understand by now
that the universe
ebbs and flows
karma comes back in threes, dear jester
are you absolutely sure
that you’re ready to reap
what you’ve sown?
I can forget, but the universe won’t // hnl 2020
I had a dream that I was talking to god in a greenhouse.
I walked around for awhile until I came to a stairwell that lead to what looked like the Garden of Eden, only darker. I started making my descent when a voice boomed overhead.
“You may ask me one question.”
I stalled for a second. My belief in god wavered over the last 5 years. The only spirituality I felt came from my own existence. Still, I wondered. I continued stepping.
“Who is my soulmate? Is that easy enough for you?”
I smiled like a jackass and looked towards the garden, hoping I’d see the face of the person who was meant for me. Suddenly everything in the room went dark. The flowers in bloom wilted and the steps started to disappear underneath me. The handrails I was grasping onto coiled like snakes and wrapped around me with a vengeance. I was lifted up towards the only light left in the room, a sunroof. The rails wrapped around my neck and I started to cry. The voice returned, but it sounded angry.
“That was the wrong question. You don’t have one.”
I woke with a start and realized that I had been crying. As I calmed myself down, I looked at my hands and feet. The realization started to flow through me like water.
I am meant for me, no one else. Maybe not even god.
the dream I had on Wednesday // hnl 2020