As a black women, it is impossible for me not to think of my body as inherently making a statement. It takes up space and receives judgement, whether it be good or bad. It’s really hard for me to voice the feelings that society has given me about my body into a poem. I feel like in conversation because my thoughts are so scattered on the topic, it is easier for me to articulate myself because a conversation is more fluid. With a poem, I feel like my thoughts have to be more fleshed out and specific. The words have to be more exact because I can’t really explain myself more if all people have to go off is the poem and nothing more. I am always hesitant to write a politically charged poem because I don’t think my message will come off exactly the way I want it to and these are topics that I don’t want their to be any confusion on my intent.
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Mya,
I feel the same way regarding political poems. As I stated in class, I feel as though I don’t have the agency to write them. I don’t feel informed or ‘qualified’ to write a politically charged poem. This week for workshop, however, I did submit a political poem, per Lytton’s request. So I guess we will see how that goes! Thanks for sharing.