by Aija Mayrock
Inadequate is not how anyone would describe you—
don’t you dare label yourself
as such.
Dear Sister,
I will never judge you for staying.
You know best
how to care
for your wounded parts.
I only hope you follow
the voice
that tells you
when it’s time
to go.
You are that which
chases the storm
but sleeps through a beautiful day;
you have broken the hearts of those who loved you
and you have broken your own heart over those who don’t.
You never learn
and you laugh when they tell you, “It’s time to grow up.”
They don’t know what you know, Dear Girl:
grow wiser, grow deeper, but never grow up.
For all the women whose stories have been told,
whose voices have echoed,
“Me too.”
Thank you.
And for all the women whose voices will never be heard,
we will not forget you.
You are the warriors we seek
when the world turns its cheek.
We will stand in solidarity,
for you are the women we’ve been waiting for.
Wicked-tongued women
who speak their truths
like a sledgehammer to the glass ceiling,
You are nothing but sheer miracles,
born from the ashes of women
who have walked this earth before you.
That is why you must speak truth,
for other women have done the work
and you must not dismantle it.
Step out of your own shadow.
Step into yourself.
You have come this far
by showing up
with your own two feet
and that alone
is enough.
Her crow’s-feet carry seas
and fleets of ship,
sweet words climb
the gruff edges
of her vocal chords,
and they sound rough
as the wildest street corners.
They are remnants
of a life well lived,
the darkly lit moments
between vitality
and the final few words.
I wrote to find the answers,
instead
I found myself.
Be the light
that floods the wounds
of people lost
in their own darkness.
For those
who came here seeking,
I hope you found what you
were looking for.
Aija Mayrock is a poet and writer. Aija’s first book, The Survival Guide to Bullying, was published in 2015. She graduated from NYU in 2019. This is Aija’s debut book of poetry.
Enjoy as an audiobook, wherever audiobooks are sold.
I want to acknowledge all of the hands that carried me here.
For those who picked me up when I fell,
believed in me when I did not believe in myself,
and loved me so deeply and unconditionally.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
copyright © 2020 by Aija Mayrock. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews.
Andrews McMeel Publishing
a division of Andrews McMeel Universal
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106
www.andrewsmcmeel.com
www.aijamayrock.com
ISBN: 9781524862466
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020931364
Editor: Allison Adler
Art Director: Julie Barnes
Production Editor: Meg Daniels
Production Manager: Carol Coe
Ebook Developer: Kristen Minter
ATTENTION: SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES
Andrews McMeel books are available at quantity discounts with bulk purchase for educational, business, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail the Andrews McMeel Publishing Special Sales Department: [email protected].
Check out these other great titles from Andrews McMeel Publishing!
