April is National Poetry Month, and this year Erica Joy came out of their poetry hiatus to participate, especially after seeing @beausia’s 30 poems in 30 days challenge. It was fun to just write poems without high expectations. Below are a few selected poems:
Fatness: A Case Study
The soft supple human is quite beguiling—
an unacknowledged shape shifter
looking so very different with two feet planted on the ground
compared to when
the body is fully supported while lying horizontally
a belly that once hung low
becomes a lake of squishiness
flooding the surrounding area in
warmth
beauty
comfort
strength is derived from abundance
blessings from the creator
a body waiting to be held
and ready to offer
only to a worthy few
a love almost as wonderful as them
~ej
Day 6: Let Go
Let go
of the potential timelines
and alternate universes
be here
be now
this moment is fleeting
and nothing is promised
— a reminder
~ej
*The following poem was lowkey prompted by the “I’m a star” scene in Pearl, and it is a bit heavy/graphic.
Day 4: The Truth Is
The anguish in her voice
unlocked a deep understanding
my eyes yearn to let tears fall
clumping my eyelashes in creating salty trails on my cheeks
my voice aches to know the sensation of being all used up
becoming the mysterious high note to someone across the world
my nails demand to claw at the wooden floorboards
leaving streaks of red
my chest longs to collapse towards my back
and my legs tense, ready to snap
My Body primed to feel the satisfaction of release
and utter brokenness
the Truth is
I have a creature (monster?) of anguish growing inside me
impatiently waiting to be birthed
desperate to be witnessed and acknowledged
but I, the mother, cannot bear to fall apart
so instead I stay under the covers
the truth Is
just as my own nails demand,
the monster, Anguish, claws beneath my skin
my creature seeks answers
and vengeance
she’s ready to scour the earth
to protect me from the past we only know
but I, her mother, am not ready to let her go
so instead I stay under the covers
The Truth Is
Anguish runs through my veins
I am her and she is me
and We stay under the covers
~ej
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