Poetry, di Laura Alaniz

Poetry

Nothing makes people flee

Like reading them poetry

They value it in theory

But please don’t make them read

Surprise me with your verse

You have to grab me

Rhyming will only make it worse

You won’t catch me with just flow

(2015)

Manos fuertes No me sueltan De la cama Yo les digo Me tengo que ir

The pine trees Reach up On both sides Of the road Telling me

The medication is not me But neither is the sickness it tre… You may hear its effects In my voice In my opinions

Why can’t I choose to be somewhere in the middle? Surrounded by extremes Measure everything With a grain of salt

The more you treat me like a nag The more I become one I’m sorry if I micromanage Your clean clothes Your hot meals

Destruction is fun But cannot be undone Smashed Trashed Crumpled

No es solo la tristeza Aunque si lo estoy No es por el desanimo Aunque si me desanimo No es tan sencillo

The ugliest shade Of green We envy The car The job

Stubbed toe Red light Ugly words Ugly mouth To shock

La presión atrapada Busca por donde salir Tapo mi boca Se me sale por los ojos Tapo mis ojos

Would I rather be A younger me? More productive Stronger Would i have to give up

He says I could never Get away with murder For I leave Pieces of me everywhere

If I could paint a man Eyes so dark they shine Brooding and stormy Til the smile breaks through If I could paint a man

The teenage rebels All fall in line Be they hippies Goths, rockers or skaters Moving from one mould

What if one day I wasn’t there for you? And you were left needing me If I wasn’t there When you woke up