An Introduction for 'How to Wait'

For me, it stands at the core of why I immersed myself into the creative, yet relentlessly difficult work of being a writer, journalist, and poet. When I first started out, I was told by many of my college professors – who were already at the top of their writing game with multiple books published – that I had “magic” in my fingers, and that I should attempt to pursue a career as a writer or poet.

I’d never heard either part of that compliment before. I was always encouraged by my family when I was a little girl. They always knew I wanted to be something bigger than myself, but hearing this from people who were outside my immediate circle was huge. It opened my eyes to the possibilities that come from creativity, but more importantly, it would end up becoming the beginning of a journey that fit my life like a glove.

As a woman with cerebral palsy, I see the world through different eyes than those around me. My life is often like a video game as I navigate through my immediate surroundings. By the same token, those surroundings are sometimes all I have to build the foundation of a poem off of – and because my circumstances make it difficult for me to be understood, I don’t always have the opportunity to express myself with spoken words – the way I’d like to be heard.

The original poems in this chapbook are a culmination and reflection of that. Each one is an open letter to the world, wrapped in the layers of language – the language I’m most comfortable with as a woman. They’re a snapshot of what I see, think, and feel, and mirror what happened the very moment I fell in love with the power of words. Most importantly, they reflect all the things people haven’t heard from me directly.

Some of these poems are sad, some happy, and some come from deep, dark places, as good poetry often does. However, all of them were written with a human heart. My human heart. As you read on, know that I do have a voice. You just have to listen.

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