Heart Sleeve

I have been wanting to write a poem that exposed an unseen vulnerability. That would share a depth of myself to inspire others to do the same. To remember to put heart back into poetry.

I want to hear a poem…

I want to hear a poem personified as light in the closet of your skeletons

Where the back-stories of your character are revealed

 

Where your words are as pure as the blue in your veins

 

I want to hear a poem…

I want to hear a poem that acts as the surgeon to this open heart procedure

Bypass the metaphors and comedic phrases

This is not for entertainment

But to open your arteries

Bringing warmth from the flow of life through inspiring stories of courage, strength, and humility

Tales of love and heartache

Of disappointment, abuse, and role models

I want to hear a poem highlighting defining moments and people in your life

A tribute

Honoring an experience

A catalyst to the moment you realized that each blemish in your clay figure represents a unique beauty

 

Your poetry should be a direct reflection of self

 

Not a projection of what you want people to believe

Because believe me more people see through what you thought was lacking in transparency

 

Which is why I I’m going to share this poem about how my first girlfriend faked a pregnancy

About how my heart has been entangled with death but still beats with love

Despite relationships past with cheating girlfriends and scornful words of manipulation

 

About how I grew up middle class but ended up living on the street

How OZ was turned into a wizard producing paper

That trees didn’t represent woodlands, but still kept to the shade of green

I’m no stranger to betrayal

I was sold out to spend 6 months of my life with DO’s, cold steel, and razor wire.

Accompanied by my felonies

And a life of judgment by the working class

This is the type of poem exposing the shrapnel of my self-destruction

And the wounds I had to heal with self-reflection that led to the redefinition of my identity

Because this lost souls carelessness had begun affecting the ones I loved

I will never intentionally hurt those close to my heart

I will guard them from pain

.

I want to share with you how being diagnosed with a crippling disease in my hips became a story of hope and triumph when it could have easily become one of despair and self-loathing

As a child I was humbled to understand that it’s ok to be dependent at times

Opening my eyes to the power of observation

Vision sees the action, while intelligence translates the meaning

And too often have people tried to confuse my kindness as weakness

 

Now, I may be Italian

But I am a regular resident of discrimination

An Evangelical Christian in a Mormon society,

Is like the nerd asking the cheerleader for a prom date

Needless to say, these lips remained virgin until my arrival to phoenix at the age of 18.

I felt like the outcast

The triangle surrounded by octagons

Like an elf in a league of giants as I was bullied for being the little guy

As if fighting through my surgeries wasn’t hard enough

I needed to be laughed and pointed at because it delayed my growth by 3 years.

 

But one thing I can say staring you directly in the eye without even an urge to blink

Although I may have been afraid I had faith that everything would be ok.

Like a local café’s newspaper my heart and soul viewed by every passerby

A heart on a sleeve so to speak

Fearful inhibitions could never restrain me from being true to myself and attempting to act like anybody other than me

 

It was through each event, mistake, success, each new blemish, and decision

That I gained a greater understanding to their relevance as they all have attributed to the person I’ve become,

And the person I will one day be

 

Because it was from hearing a poet

Share a poem like this

That irrefutably demanded my respect as they delved into the vulnerability of their personal realm

While they imprinted it on a flag without care of judgment and raised it to the sky for everyone to see

Knowing that someone

Someone like me

Was out there waiting for someone like them

To show me how powerful of a statement can be made when I look you dead in the eye

Smile genuinely

and say with the utmost of confidence,

“I am proud to be me!”

 

 

 

Reviews

[Dark Aeris]

Sometimes the most one can respond with is, this made me smile.

I'm happy you have reached that point of zen.. I know it takes me some time to even reach that point, however once you reach it it feels awesome no?

Good luck with any of your troubles. And as a friend once told me, "the world may beat you down.... but only if you let it."

[DaniElle LaPointe]

absolutely my dream to dive into such as this. Thank you thank you thank you for sharing. Introspectivebutbitchslapsensitive... That's my word for this piece.

[Annebelle Ashire]

I'm happy to say that I've held my breath, read with dry eyes due to lack of blinking, and wondered all the while what you might share next. Poetry changed my life 9 years ago, and I fall in love all over again each time I hear a poet speak of their inspiration. I am thrilled to hear you share your own "realm" , as another will look upon your words and wonder why it took such an earthly length to find your mind. Enchanting write,
~*M.A Living*~

[TL Boehm]

I never hide from the page. It is my catharsis and nothing is taboo. This is a wonderful write and I agree, poetry should be a reflection of ones' self.

[Michael X]

to love is to know what it means to be vulnerable, you write from the
depth of the heart, to idealize concept, we grow in understanding
through experience, and you have captured the meaning with grace.
stunning work Jason, the volume is limitless

[Bethany Woody]

I wish I was ready to be like you and raise my flag to he sky for all to see.
Simply perfect.

[Olive Belikov]

ooh i absolutely loved this. i dont usually find the will to read through long poems like this unless im trully into it; which i totally was. so much feeling and emotion and thoughts. such a strong write. Great job :)

[Rick Puetter]

Dear Lalli,

This is simply a wonderful poem. You speak powerfully about life and make your reader feel your thoughts. Yes, we are molded by life's twists and turns. We become the better person, however, if we take to the oars and rudder and attempt to steer a course through life. Otherwise we can get washed away and destroyed by life's violence. You have taken the rudder and seen new lands and learned from your journey.

A powerful write and one of the best I've read on WC. This get's a 98/100. I've never given a higher rating. No poem can have a score of 100 as all poems can be improved, and I've never read a 99 poem as I'm sure I'll go immediately blind when I do.

All the very best, and thanks for teaching us with your powerful words!

Rick

[Rick Puetter]

Dear Lalli,

This is simply a wonderful poem. You speak powerfully about life and make your reader feel your thoughts. Yes, we are molded by life's twists and turns. We become the better person, however, if we take to the oars and rudder and attempt to steer a course through life. Otherwise we can get washed away and destroyed by life's violence. You have taken the rudder and seen new lands and learned from your journey.

A powerful write and one of the best I've read on WC. This get's a 98/100. I've never given a higher rating. No poem can have a score of 100 as all poems can be improved, and I've never read a 99 poem as I'm sure I'll go immediately blind when I do.

All the very best, and thanks for teaching us with your powerful words!

Rick