Writing poetry was the only way I could truly express myself, to elevate my voice and say what my soul wanted to convey. As a teen searching for herself within the chaos and dysfunction of the generational trauma I inherited, my writing screamed and cried and pleaded when my voice was too afraid to speak. I hid. I cowered. I was terrified of being seen for fear of rejection and humiliation. So I stayed small…. folded myself around others who were more bold, outspoken, confident and secure. All the meanwhile, the pain that I have carried within my bones since before my conception was aching for an escape. Begging and pleading for safe space to cry and wail and mourn and scream to release the gut wrenching yearning for relief from lifetimes of torment.
Over the years, the more I connect to the deepest parts of myself, the path to my true self has been revealed. With that, the realization that pain needs a witness has made such a strong mark in my soul. When consciousness observes itself, it validates the experience which allows for the most profound healing because it reminds us of our human connection. We all feel. We all cry. We all mourn. We all need safe spaces to be. We all want to know we are not alone in the loneliness that is our experience of craving to become known. And it’s not until we face our fears and walk THROUGH them, that we can find the connection we’re longing for. I have sat with countless people over my lifetime, discussing their deepest fears, traumas, experiences, memories and pains… one thing I know for certain is that healing begins when we speak, when we communicate our experiences, when we allow another human to witness what we’ve endured. Because that is the moment we allow ourselves to be seen in our authenticity. Not the masks we wear, but the truth that our soul longs to bring into the light so another being with Divine light within them, can bring what’s been hidden into conscious awareness. AND THAT is what helps us release, so we can make choices with intention.
With all that being said, I have been writing poetry for years. I have hundreds of pieces written on every topic imaginable. I started an IG page in 2019 that grew to over 3K followers in a couple of months, but had to place my dreams on hold for my family. But since I have reconnected with my heart, she has been longing to express again. So I am back. To pour my soul through my pen, from a hyper analytical mind, to shake things up. To bring to light so much of what we try to hide. To show the world that it’s ok to cry. Vulnerability doesn’t have to be weak. It takes strength to be your most authentic self. It’s ok to discuss taboo topics like death and faith and sex and colonialism and all the most gritty aspects of humanity that we wrap in pretty packages so we don’t have to deal with them.
Stepping out of my boxes and into the wild unknown, I have been submitting some of my work to perform at a variety of spaces within the NYC and Philadelphia areas. And I am BEYOND excited because my poem, ‘Canciones de los Ancestros’ is being featured at the “Homecoming” Exhibition in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in honor of Puerto Rican heritage month tonight!! I will be performing my piece for the Opening Night at the AM|PM Gallery on Marcy Ave.
“We are honoring the legacy of Puerto Rican street art, graffiti writers, and photography, while exploring themes of resistance, identity, and community. From the blocks of Brooklyn to the trains heading uptown to the Bronx, Nuyorican street art laid the blueprint for a global movement: a visual language of resistance, identity, and collective power. Homebound continues this legacy, tracing the movement of Puerto Rican creativity from the island to New York’s walls, trains, and neighborhoods.”
My great-grandmother Aurelia left Puerto Rico and settled in Williamsburg back in the 50’s when racism was the hallmark of societal interaction with Puerto Ricans. As the matriarch of our family, she raised 10 children, working hard, still loving and serving God no matter what hardships she endured. I am so honored to carry her name with me as I feel the deep connection, even though we’ve never met in this world. And I am beyond grateful that I am able to bring the songs of my ancestors to others tonight!!!! To any of my NY peeps, please let me know if you’d like to come!!! It’s gonna be a great night!
And for you reading this, let this be the permission slip that you don’t even need but sometimes feel you do… to get out there and let yourself be heard, even if it’s only ONE person. Your story matters. Your feelings matter. Your experience matters. And YOU, more than anything… matter. Let your voice be heard!
Poetry can weave the energetic threads of mind, heart and soul. It can expand the spaces within your chest when someone can paint pictures with words, illustrating an accurate sense of your inner world, building connection that bypasses biology and like an arrow aimed at the soul, hits the mark we never know we needed to be witnessed until we have that ah-ha moment. Follow @InsightfullyNaked on IG where each piece is deep, insightful, spiritual, and intellectually designed to bridge the Sacred with Science, to inspire and provoke meaningful conversation.
What do you have to say? I am all ears…
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