We were the best of friends, we found refuge in each other at work. Texting till late at night, calling in the middle of day with no delay. I remember, when you called me and asked me to cover your shifts for your vacation, I immediately accepted and you said I was amazing.

I like to think of that instead how we ended.

The good times, like when I complimented your boots and you implied that it was nice to find a guy whose purpose wasn't to objectify. I can't help but wonder if playing me was your goal, you're married now, he's seen you naked, but has he seen your soul? It all happened so fast, I didn't think you dating that guy would last. He wasn't your type, at least that's what you told me that night. I'm not jealous of him, I'm jealous of you, you were able to give up, while I'm still clinging to the idea of you.

I stand in the middle of the room
My classmates are commanded to listen to me
I am the 14th person to present and so far, everyone has done a good job

I stand in the middle of the room
I begin to saw the name of my project
“My Poem”
I cannot remember what it was about
I do remember, what I felt

I stand in the room,
Hoping that everyone feels what I felt when I was writing it
I felt excited, my stomach had ‘butterflies’ I think
I felt the heat in my heart and the cold on my shoulders.
I felt the tingles all over my body, and the air escaping me

I stood in the middle of the room
I stand in the middle of the room
I was in the middle of the room and said
“My poem”
I heard a chuckle.

I ignored it because the ‘in love’ heart in my chest was more excited than It should have been
I continues and my voice began to play tricks on me
And the r’s rolled and the words were suddenly in another language
My mind still ignored it and continues
Because I felt I could write, and read this and everyone could love it

I stood in the middle of the room,
I waited for the, applause, the smiles, the congrats, or even a simple ‘good job’ like everyone else
Instead…
My teacher said, work on pronunciation. She said it again. Pro-noun-ci-a-tion
Ok. ‘Work on grammar.’ ‘Work on sentence structure’
“Work on being American” the chuckle said
Or the person who chuckled?

It didn’t mean much, you know
I loved writing so much that it did not matter
I would be a writer, I would continue to
STAND in the middle of the room and share my talent
And when I did, he chuckled
She chuckled, I was Mexican

Not a writer. Writers can’t be Mexican
Unless you write in Spanish and in Mexico
But I was too American for that at this point…

SO the next time I wrote I was ashamed,
Maybe if someone else wrote my writing?
But it didn’t matter,
When the teacher began reading,
The chuckle reminded the class it was the ‘Mexican’ who wrote it

“Mi nina” My mom would say
She reminded me that no only was I Mexican
I was a woman,
Only men thrive in this world
I believed it
And that is why my name is ‘The Voice’
Not my actually name,
Disclosure: I accept criticism on how to better my writing
NOT on what to write or on my background

No one can know your pain
Not nearly as well as yourself
But the rope won't take it away
It just gives it to someone else

That night you left me,
Two weeks ago
You left with my heart
With my feelings, with my love

I almost died.

Now life seems hazy
Surreal, fake
Like I'm not quite living it

Or like I'm in a dream
So I pinch my arm
Please, wake up
But it's still
Real

The clouds are lifting though
Slowly, bit by bit
I'll live again
And I'll be here
When you're ready

"I'll do it tomorrow"

A common thing we say to avoid doing
What we need to now.

This applies to what we love as well.
Having plenty of time to do what we want
Can be a bad thing.

Time can defeat our passion and make us
Comfortable in a life and procrastination
And relaxation.
A trap one does not escape easily.

Passion comes from a moment's thought.
An idea that if thought over can be ruined or
Stored away.
Comfortable situations never led to good ideas.

Your naked body
Pressed on mine
We kissed

I thought that
I should feel
Something

Thrill, euphoria
Lust, love
Or bliss

But no
I felt
Nothing