Adventures in 13/30

as i peel back the heavy of cover and copyright
i remind myself
i am no fool

i see each of us
young, impressionable
gasping for breath
knowing this is what it means to be brown and woman
to be poet and protest
and somehow whole
to see the world in image and metaphor
and refuse to apologize for it

i wonder what still can be taught
what phrase will resonate like the holy of repetition
what saying will i secretly live by
or write by
still at 3am
caught up in the soundless grip of white space

it seems silly to say i am proud of you
when what i mean is i'm proud of me
to not be that girl at the edge of poet row
not the same
not anymore
i know something of myself now
know something of the poet i still plan to be
i trust that when the time comes
the arena can be left to me