After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn
that love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't always mean security.
And you begin to learn
that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of a woman, not a grief of child
and you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is
too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down
in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
that even sunshine burns
if you get to much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone
to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
you really are strong
you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn
with every goodbye, you learn...
After A While - Veronica A. Shoffstall
The next poem I was able to discovered all thanks to a friend (well. more like an acquaintance) who happened to create a video art based on this poem for her final project. The video turns out to be breathtakingly awesome and so does the poem itself.
If you grow up the type of woman men want to look at,
you can let them look at you. But do not mistake eyes for hands.
you can let them look at you. But do not mistake eyes for hands.
Or windows.
Or mirrors.
Or mirrors.
Let them see what a woman looks like.
They may not have ever seen one before.
They may not have ever seen one before.
If you grow up the type of woman men want to touch,
you can let them touch you.
you can let them touch you.
Sometimes it is not you they are reaching for.
Sometimes it is a bottle. A door. A sandwich. A Pulitzer. Another woman.
Sometimes it is a bottle. A door. A sandwich. A Pulitzer. Another woman.
But their hands found you first. Do not mistake yourself for a guardian.
Or a muse. Or a promise. Or a victim. Or a snack.
Or a muse. Or a promise. Or a victim. Or a snack.
You are a woman. Skin and bones. Veins and nerves. Hair and sweat.
You are not made of metaphors. Not apologies. Not excuses.
You are not made of metaphors. Not apologies. Not excuses.
If you grow up the type of woman men want to hold,
you can let them hold you.
you can let them hold you.
All day they practice keeping their bodies upright--
even after all this evolving, it still feels unnatural, still strains the muscles,
even after all this evolving, it still feels unnatural, still strains the muscles,
holds firm the arms and spine. Only some men will want to learn
what it feels like to curl themselves into a question mark around you,
what it feels like to curl themselves into a question mark around you,
admit they do not have the answers
they thought they would have by now;
they thought they would have by now;
some men will want to hold you like The Answer.
You are not The Answer.
You are not The Answer.
You are not the problem. You are not the poem
or the punchline or the riddle or the joke.
or the punchline or the riddle or the joke.
Woman. If you grow up the type men want to love,
You can let them love you.
You can let them love you.
Being loved is not the same thing as loving.
When you fall in love, it is discovering the ocean
When you fall in love, it is discovering the ocean
after years of puddle jumping. It is realizing you have hands.
It is reaching for the tightrope when the crowds have all gone home.
It is reaching for the tightrope when the crowds have all gone home.
Do not spend time wondering if you are the type of woman
men will hurt. If he leaves you with a car alarm heart, you learn to sing along.
men will hurt. If he leaves you with a car alarm heart, you learn to sing along.
It is hard to stop loving the ocean. Even after it has left you gasping, salty.
Forgive yourself for the decisions you have made, the ones you still call
Forgive yourself for the decisions you have made, the ones you still call
mistakes when you tuck them in at night. And know this:
Know you are the type of woman who is searching for a place to call yours.
Know you are the type of woman who is searching for a place to call yours.
Let the statues crumble.
You have always been the place.
You have always been the place.
You are a woman who can build it yourself.
You were born to build.
You were born to build.
The Type - Sarah Kay
Both are coincidentally revolve around woman. Both are equally quite depressing, but there is a sense of strength and optimism on both poems that I find truly beautiful. Don't tell me you didn't get teary eyes after reading them. Nope? Just me? Okay moving on.
Another reason those two poems really struck me to the core, aside from the fact that they were beautifully written and filled with awesome metaphors, is that I absolutely can relate to those words. I know, crazy huh? Those are pretty deep stuff right there so I guess I AM quite deep? All jokes aside I really do feel that every woman can see themselves in those two poems and feel somewhat empowered after reading them.
My favorite lines from After A Whilepoem is basically everything. Adore it way too much to the point I cannot pick my favorite line. That poem is just too beautiful as a whole. As for The Type I have picked a few favorites but after watching Sarah Kay herself reading the poem with such emotion in her voice, I'm not gonna lie it becomes quite a task to pick a favorite lines. Some words and sentences that wasn't really get me before suddenly come alive when she read it. But nonetheless here are my favorite lines from The Type:
You are a woman. Skin and bones. Veins and nerves. Hair and sweat.
You are not made of metaphors. Not apologies. Not excuses.
You are not made of metaphors. Not apologies. Not excuses.
Only some men will want to learn
what it feels like to curl themselves into a question mark around you,
what it feels like to curl themselves into a question mark around you,
admit they do not have the answers
they thought they would have by now;
they thought they would have by now;
some men will want to hold you like The Answer.
You are not The Answer.
You are not The Answer.
You are not the problem. You are not the poem
or the punchline or the riddle or the joke.
or the punchline or the riddle or the joke.
It is hard to stop loving the ocean. Even after it has left you gasping, salty.
Forgive yourself for the decisions you have made, the ones you still call
Forgive yourself for the decisions you have made, the ones you still call
mistakes when you tuck them in at night.
I love how the above sentences emphasize on a woman's worth. A lot of times I tend to labelled myself as unworthy so it is nice to be reminded that (as Sarah Kay puts it) I am not made of metaphors, not apologies, not excuses, and that I am more that just an answer. Neither am I the problem nor the joke. I also particularly love the last bit of the poem:
And know this:
Know you are the type of woman who is searching for a place to call yours.
Know you are the type of woman who is searching for a place to call yours.
Let the statues crumble.
You have always been the place.
You have always been the place.
You are a woman who can build it yourself.
You were born to build.
You were born to build.
I do search for a place to call mine and as scary and impossible as it may sounds, I do hope I can build it myself. You know I thought things would get easier post university. You just chase after your dreams right? And hopefully meet your soulmate along the way. Oh how totally wrong I was. Sometimes I wish life comes with a guidebook to tell you the all right things to do. To save you from all those judging eyes. Fail proof way to life your life. Decision making for dummies. Whatever you want to call it. Seeing most of my friends begin to make it on their own as they are getting a job and start paving the beginning of their career path, I sometimes can't help but comparing my own life to them which is not what I am supposed to do, but it just happened sometimes. And being an introverted anti social human being without a mother figure that she can pour her heart out to and take advice from make it THAT much more difficult. Okay this is getting a little bit too far. I probably need some sleep. It is getting late so good night!
