Unlearning

This poem was prompted by Jamie Dedes at The Poet by Day. Her directive: How gullible we humans can be. Tell us about that. In what ways are we “Chumped. Stumped. Petrified.”

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I learned in the back seats of cars

The alcoves of bars

How to please

And how to tease.

I learned at the department store

How to dress to settle the score.

And underneath, my angel side

Learned how to cause a great divide.

A push, a pinch, a tug, a spin

Put pain to the side; upfront, just grin.

I learned my worth, a ratio

Of tits and ass and let it go.

And when you think the game is done,

You spy your girls and know they’ve won.

Those weren’t lessons, they were deceit.

I was fooled, their greatest feat.

Should I just acquiescent to my defeat?

Oh hell no.

#metoo

#timesup

©️iido 2018

Gestures

I’ve been thinking about this prompt all week and it finally came together today! Thank you again to Patrick for his Pic and a Word Challenge #48.

Jaw set

Brows coming together

Looking straight ahead while around her

Kids are squirming, tearing, jeering

She rubs her forehead, right above her nose and closes her eyes

The gesture of acceptance

Out numbered defeat

Head tilted to the side

Eyes squinted

Staring into a face that doesn’t believe in her worth, her rights, her existence

She crosses her arms, juts her hip and taps her foot

The gesture of defiance

Disbelief that in this day and age

Mouth agape

Neck outstretched

Listening to advice and false promises yelled by witnesses to her body’s treachery

She swings her arms and shuffles forward

The gesture of persistence

Knowing pain is temporary

Afterwards, she sits still

Listening to the quiet sounds

Of trees swaying and not breaking

Her breathing deepens

Her arms raise to the sky

The gesture of triumph

Self determined

©️iido 2018

It’s official…

Merry Christmas everyone! And Happy Chanukah to all my Jewish friends!

This post was supposed to go out in October however it didn’t. Blame it on my continued issue with being distracted (also called “4 kids syndrome”). Blame it on the outcome of the presidential election (also called “proud to be a snowflake because it means I am a caring human being” syndrome). It’s been an exhausting two months and running with my MRTT group has been one of the few things that has helped recharge me. 

As the new year approaches, I am again re-committing to practicing self-care through running and writing/blogging.  No more hiding out and using other people’s words to speak my truth. 

It’s official….
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I ran my first race in PA last weekend (*meaning back on October 16, 2016) – the Hershey Half Marathon. That means I am officially a Pensylvanian Runner!

It was a hilly course, but getting to run through Hersheypark and having kids from the Milton Hershey School cheer us on was totally worth it.

I wasn’t too fond of the sections where we ran through the parking lot around the stadium (especially towards the end – that was like the Sahara Desert of parking lot runs!). But overall the course and the course support was pretty good. 

I did 2:1 intervals the entire race and it felt really good! I have become a true interval convert – I haven’t been injured since doing interval running and I feel great and energized at the end instead of feeling like I am dying! That’s a good thing right? 

The one disappointment at the end was the non-chocolate chip cookie. We got a great lunch bag with other goodies, but when I bit into the cookie and realized it was oatmeal raisin – what the what??!!  This is HERSHEY – the chocolate capital of the world! I don’t care if oatmeal raisin is a better “recovery cookie”….I want my chocolate!! Maybe next year they can make it chocolate chip oatmeal raisin? 

Pretty please with a Hershey kiss on top? 

(Above image from Quotesgram.)