Happy April.
It is also NaPoWriMo. So have a poem. I am very tired and that turns up my depression and my poetry is all dark anyway so. Too tired to write more also.
________________
stretch
limited resources
not recognized by
an ableist world.
push
past too much and
on into this will
hurt me tomorrow.
go
and keep on going
even when you are
too tired to die.
move
it’s good for you
yes you i mean it
even if it hurts.
lies
are what they say
to make us try to
be like they are.
other
what you know you
are in this world
not made for you.
them
all we are to the
privileged class,
the vague masses.
try
is all you can do
just try and cry,
and fall and die.
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on April 1, 2010 on 08:33
I really like the effect of the single-word lines. There’s an interesting shift where they move from things that might seem to fit into a more mainstream narrative of “overcoming” (stretch/push/go/move) and then they reflect the reality of that overcoming narrative and how it affects people (lies/other/them), only to loop back to “try” which can no longer be understood as part of that same narrative.
on April 1, 2010 on 08:35
Thanks!
(It’s weird – I tend to start out with nothing in mind, then trip and fall into some kind of pattern and carefully tailor the rest to fit. I had SO MUCH TROUBLE making the last line the right number of characters. Oh and I forgot to put it in monospace didn’t I so you can’t even tell brb fixing that.)
on April 1, 2010 on 11:14
I almost always compose in monospace. :-)
on April 3, 2010 on 13:41
What a great poem, it really explains how this ableist world is destroying genuine life. We should be free to stick to be ourselves, whatever shape or disability we choose to have.
on April 6, 2010 on 05:23
Okay, finally publishing this comment. Sorry it took me so long, I had to go to Easter at my grandmother’s and then I got food poisoning from Easter dinner. Always fun.
My issue with the language here is ‘disability we choose to have’. The phrasing feeds into perception of impairment as something people could get over if they just TRIED HARD ENOUGH, and of people with disabilities as just lazy fakers who could be normal if they really wanted to. Which is certainly not a trope that needs added fuel.
on April 21, 2010 on 03:30
Again, apologies.
No new poems, I see? It’s a pity, I was looking forward to more – your writing style is quite engaging.
I do so hope you’re better now. Food poisoning is such a drag.
on April 26, 2010 on 23:16
I have not been having a good month, and I’m bad at consistency. You could always poke around in the poetry tag, though.
on April 3, 2010 on 15:03
I am sorry if my language offended you. Please, do make a point of telling me what I said wrong – whatever it was, I fully apologise for it!
In any case, I did enjoy your poem and related to it.