Of Poets & Other Abandoned Things: Day 23

Day 23

This was a poetry exercise I did a few months ago and loved.
The exercise was to take one of your favourite poet's pieces and make it your own.

Who talks about loss like Warsan Shire?
I picked For Women Who Are Difficult To Love.
 

 Photographer: Rubben Mabuku 

Of Poets & Other Abandoned Things: An Ode To Warsan Shire

You are a baby elephant running alone.

He tries to tame you

Compares you to an enigma.

To a flame

Like you burn his lips when he says your name.

Says you are hurting him.

Says you are blinding him.

That he could never leave you.

Forget you.

Unlove you.

Want anything but you.

You confuse him, overwhelm him

In every woman before and after you

In their poetry he will still try to find your syllables.

You fill his bones with your overwhelming presence.

His body is always seeking yours.

But you are far too intense

In how willing you are to love him

Unashamed and sacrificial.

He tells you that the man you seek

Does not exist

That you ask for far too much.

& you tried to change, didn't you?

Sew your lips shut.

Then you switched your sneakers for heels

Because something about you had to stay sharp.

For you could only change so much.

Still, you tried to be less explosive, less volatile.

But even as you slept you could feel yourself losing him, one nightmare at a time.

You can't make homes out of human beings, love.

Someone should have already told you that.

Don't you see that in how even this beautiful house was abandoned?

If he wants to walk away then you open the place where there should be a door

& allow him to do so.

You are brave. 

Terrifying in the ways you are constantly trying to evolve.
You are and strange and beautiful
something not everyone knows how to love.