By: Olivia Newton-Evans
One: The world is trying to kill you.
It is trying to do this by stealing your voice.
Kill it back.
Two: You are the best thing in every room.
You will notice I did not say the prettiest thing in every room,
you are also the prettiest thing in every room,
but that shit doesn’t matter,
that shit is the world trying to kill you.
Three: You will never completely kill the idea
that your body is the most important thing about you.
That shit is everywhere.
If you are alive and hearing me say these words
then you have already heard them too many times,
that said.
Four: the best hairstyle
is one that helps you get out of bed in the morning.
The best brand of makeup
is one that sharpens a knife for you.
The best brand of denim
is one that fits,
and goes with your combat boots.
Note: that high heels
make perfectly acceptable combat boots,
converse,
make excellent combat boots,
and yes,
combat boots
are superlative combat boots.
Five: wear
whatever you want
look
however you want
you know who can fuck themselves if they don’t like it ?
EVERYONE
Six: you remember that metaphor about
killing you being stealing your voice ?
sometimes,
the world will actually try to kill you.
you’ll never deserve it,
telling you to be ready
is pointless,
telling you to be prepared
is just another way to blame you when it happens
which is why,
Seven: You need to hold up your sisters.
Eight: EVERYONE IS YOUR SISTER.
The girl with the jacked up teeth
and the drift store jeans
IS YOUR SISTER.
the girl who fucks girls,
IS YOUR SISTER.
The girl who used to be called Jake
but is now called Jane,
IS YOUR SISTER
The cheerleaders who are
trying so hard to kill you,
are still YOUR SISTERS.
The word is trying to
kill each and everyone of you
and if you do not hold yourselves up,
no one else will.
Nine: someday,
someone is going to call you a woman.
It’s gonna be the most terrifying thing to think about yourself,
but recognize it,
for the medal of honor that it is.
It means that everything that has tried to kill you
has failed.
I’m so sorry
I should’ve called you all
Women
at the beginning of this poem.
Seychelles
Octubre 18, 2021
6: 18 pm
(por si quieren ver a la poeta declamandolo)
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