Anti-Vitae (after Chelsey Minnis) 1994 Didn’t even whimper. They had to smack my ass thrice to make me cry 1995 Became the butt of all the slim-shaming jokes by the
15 ways to stay alive (after Daphne Gottlieb) 1. Listen to a lot of music. Make many memories associated with songs. 2. Inhale what you want. Just because the air
Let this swelled woman be a mirage. It’s brutal; the way she ignores her body. Can I get a list of her sacrifices? The marks on her belly speak of
Place your fear in my hand and I’ll- Twist it into a soft metaphor. Whisper into its ears – it’s okay, it’s okay. Hold it gently like holding a newborn.
The mountains will not mourn your sorrow. Neither will they share your dwindling pain. The hands of time are pointing tomorrow. This winding, shiny path is too narrow. Your full-flowered
Tulips (after Sylvia Plath) The tulips have been here for some time, I haven’t adored them. White marshmallows, cotton candies, dancing in the wind That comes from nowhere. I can’t
how there’s always a place for hope in my heart. strong deja vu. how, for all my shortcomings, I always blame that one moment of not listening to my heart.
Did he notice that I held his hand tighter, while it was just a handshake for him? Did he not absorb my love That was painted on my palm lines?
I am stringing all the wayward yesterdays that led me astray into an amalgamation of lessons to be learned. The airwaves around me resound with a new instinct to heal,
I sculpted, molded, crafted, and carved. This deep existence is handmade. I stitched this limitless hope, embroidered this self-love. I quilled all my dreams into my nerves. Now I am