Here is every mental illness I’ve ever been diagnosed with, as a house.

because some people build homes out of their mental illnesses and I think I used to do that too. Homes are stable. Homes are steady. Homes are seemingly swell reasons not to go outside. This poem is a plea- Hey, no matter how comfortable your house is, please go outside.  BIPOLAR is a house with soContinue reading “Here is every mental illness I’ve ever been diagnosed with, as a house.”

for all the honey

I have poured out of half-enjoyed human stories in chipped porcelain China cups held haphazardly in the hands of my history- I am writing a to-do list addressing my limitations. I am seeking to sip longer, to be self-loving, to be good, to be just to just be. to unlearn my fear of kissing flickeringContinue reading “for all the honey”

today, i’m trying

not to think about how i want to kiss you with my mouth open, and my eyes just the same. i want to not want to see you- (really see you) shiver straight out of our current context, carefully crafting a new one. wanna stop dreamin’ of a new one.          Continue reading “today, i’m trying”

a piece i did for today’s speak-out on my campus against sexual violence:

  There is a contagion on my campus.There is a sickness in society.I am not a doctor but I am deeply concerned‘cause it doesn’t take an MD to realize that we are unwell. Our women are coughing, our men are ill too- this is gender neutral‘cause we’re all infected.It’s not just my malady, or yours.This is everyone’s illness.soContinue reading “a piece i did for today’s speak-out on my campus against sexual violence:”

This is called how to chase happiness the way sadness chases you

because happiness is not something you can cross your fingers and hope for- it is something you must chase after even when your shoes are falling apart. so all puns intended this, this is a running list, as I am working on it we all are, so 1. Dissect your devastation Catalogs your concerns, surveyContinue reading “This is called how to chase happiness the way sadness chases you”

“Becoming an agent of historical change”

today my professor said there are scientific studies saying, “we are actually soft-wired to be hyper-competitive, we are more hardwired to be empathetic” as in there is this illusion that we are born brutal, born tough, born sinners, born evil this is just a falsity. this is just some cover up. this is just aContinue reading ““Becoming an agent of historical change””

Philadelphia is a city trying

She used to boom and bustle, now she yearns and yawns. ‘Cause Philadelphia is a city tired. her bones ache these days and she’s been napping more than she used to. we saw her waking over a month ago, we saw her squint her eyes at the sun. (’cause Philadelphia is a city hopeful) weContinue reading “Philadelphia is a city trying”

Kids are so resilient,

bouncing back and back and back andbelieving “i’m sorry(‘s)“every time they are spokenand not questioning “i promise“or “i love you” or “i mean it(‘s)“.they are everyone’s advocate they are proudand generousthey are forgivingthey are relentlessthey are effervescentand curious.they are teachers. -&

a collection of words about young hands holding paint brushes.

(context: these are about my time at Sheppard Elementary School in North Philadelphia helping muralist Sandra Gonzalez with a mural project in the school. a group of us worked with different classrooms of the elementary school students to help them paint tiles for the mural to be installed in their school) The fountain of youth need not be discovered.Continue reading “a collection of words about young hands holding paint brushes.”