Tuesday, March 27, 2018

DMC: "i'm tired of names once you say it you can't take it back" by Heidi Mordhorst




i'm tired of names once you say it you can't take it back
           from "blurred lines" by Lil Fijjii

you (people i love, people who love me) say i'm
bossy, tight, impatient, i try too hard.  i'm tired
is what i am.  i'm tired of
working so hard and tired of those names
people have for us who were born caring.  once
my own grandma called me (age 22) a brat.  you
say that's no big deal.  i say
that's the point:  to me everything is a big deal.  it
is hard to feel like "i care, but not that much."  you
advise me, remind me i can't
care about everything (no one can).  "take
it easy, take it slow," you say, "let it
go."  but the world weighs in and i can't turn my back.

© 2018 Heidi Mordhorst. All rights reserved.


Click HERE to read this month's interview with Nikki Grimes. She has challenged us to write a golden shovel poem using a line from one of the poems in the post.

Leave your golden shovel on our March 2018 padlet. All contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration this Friday, March 30th, and one lucky participant will win a copy of her new companion novel to Bronx Masquerade:





4 comments:

  1. A terrific 'shout-out' for this week, Heidi. It's hard not to notice the world swirling around, with changes that make us want to act, now!

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  2. I love this so much, Heidi! Interesting how you and I chose the same striking line and came up with such different interpretations... except for the tired line. Tired is tired, I guess.

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  3. This poem is so full of your voice. You do care too much, Heidi, but that's what I love about you. You will persevere. You give me strength to persevere. This poem is brilliantly crafted!

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  4. Heidi I can relate to this poem. I hate taking everything too seriously and yet I can't stop doing it. To know that you are doing something is not enough to stop doing it. Keep taking things seriously Heidi. You do it so well.

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