Poems

[readsomethinginyourlife]

No was a bad word in my home

no was met with the lash

erased from our vocabulary

beaten out of our backs

till we became well-behaved kids

who obediently nodded yes to everything

when he climbed on top of me

every part of my body wanted to reject it

but I couldn't say no to save my life

when i tried to scream all that escaped me was silence

i heard no pounding her fist

on the roof of my mouth

begging to let her out

but i had not put up the exit sign

never built the emergency staircase

there was no trapdoor for no to escape from

i want to ask all the

parents and guardians a question

what use was obedience then

when there were hands

that were no mine inside me

-how can i verbalize consent as an adult if i was never taught as a child

–"The sun and her flowers" by, Rupi Kaur

[readsomethinginyourlife]

The struggles of a mixed person

"Your not BLACK enough you're to light. To be BLACK." "You aren't HISPANIC. You don't speak Spanish." "You aren't WHITE because you're to dark." "Immigrant." "Slave." "Cracker." "Go cut my grass." "Go pick some cotton." "You are lucky your white." "No cops are gonna come after you." "Go back to where you came from." Even though I am also Native American so this is where part of me came from. "Can you understand what I'm saying." "Of course you have an A in Spanish look at you." "You don't understand what we go through." My problems pile up more than their's because I get a comment everywhere I go because. I AM MIXED. But you have to be proud of what you are and where you came from. Don't let them fuck up your point of view on your cultures.

[readsomethinginyourlife]

Like a Rose

I am like a rose I am wonderful to look at but harsh to touch I tried to warn them They didn’t listen Why didn’t they listen? I told them not to get close To stop before they got hurt But they did it anyway They got close They touched me Why did they touch me? Everything was going fine I am like a rose if you touch me it will hurt They always complain about the pain I warned them So I am going to warn you don’t touch me Stay at arms length away I am like a rose

[readsomethinginyourlife]

How Many Times?

How many times did you say stop and they didnt stop. how many times did you say no and they didnt stop. How many times did you have to walk down the street and they cat call you. How many times did you say yes. NONE. They think no means yes and walking away means chase after me and that stop meant please dont stop. More times than it needed to be done.