Two hands

by Yakari Gabriel   Mar 19, 2016


Sometimes I cry alone
because I am so far away.
sometimes I smile for the very
same reason-
all the women in my family
have mundane bodies,
all the people in my family
are women

I don't know when,
or on which day I promised
myself that I would cross the
ocean to go find myself
but the day came and
now I am here

my mother's voice
only passes through a phone
yet it falls like a block on me
her sadness is my cross
her sadness is my strength

my mother just wants to move
forward, I just want to live
but these two things
are not synonyms
when she can't see life
without me

my whole life
I have been on my knees,
I been at the mercy of someone else
and when I finally stood up
I could see things from another point of view

don't talk to me about being strong
about not worrying
about resting
not when my mother raised
me alone, with her two hands
and broken Spanish

you'll wake up one night
with nothing but skin
covering your emotions
maybe, you'll understand my vulnerability

when you're the only child,
of a single mother
with no education
and no language

you learn the privilege
in having two hands
that are well and able

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Latest Comments

  • 7 years ago

    by Saerelune

    Hey love, it's been a while since I showed up my face here. Still had to post the comments I made as a judge. :P

    "The emotive response any reader would get from this piece should already be enough to win points. This fragile yet strong poem full of honesty really tug at the heartstrings and takes the reader on a journey of emotions. Of course there's more to this poem than only its emotions. I picked it for its creativity as well, there are some noteworthy lines such as "these two things are not synonyms when she can't see life without me" or the last two stanzas. My only remark would be that this poem seems even more powerful (and more meant to be) spoken out loud, yet the enjambment does not reflect this. But this does not take away from how easily this poem is understood."

  • 8 years ago

    by Britt

    OKAY but I nominated it and judges harp on grammar, so for the record, I tried HAHAHA

    • 8 years ago

      by Yakari Gabriel

      Let them get dem wins, I got dem streets

      thug life

  • 8 years ago

    by Yakari Gabriel

    Gurl i love my slang language

    i'm a little hood ok

    I IS WHAT I IS.

    u know who a is

  • 8 years ago

    by Britt

    Oh! I forgot to add:

    "I been at the mercy of someone else"

    Change that I to I've ;)

  • 8 years ago

    by Britt

    I don't even know how to comment on this, Yaki. There is such self awareness and maturity here..compassion and understanding. I'm super overwhelmed reading the depth in this. Simply beautiful.

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