Susan by Breanna Reyes

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Susan
by Breanna Reyes

My mother was born screaming
She’s a loud woman
Made of rose petal thorns
She taught me to take up space
To speak in volumes, not chapters.

My mother’s favorite color is purple
The color of royalty, of spirit, of ambition
She worked late nights and early mornings
Came home with bloodshot eyes
And a bloodier tongue
She taught me to take no prisoners
Even if that meant offing your friends

My mother is one of the smartest women I know
But kindness often takes a back seat
To candor
She taught me the world is hard on women like us
So biting our tongues isn’t an option

My mother sacrificed for me
Over and over again
Late nights and early mornings
Dinners and performances missed
Ambition left to simmer on the back of a stove
As she filed her thorns to points to keep me safe

My mother screamed me into this world
And as I am preparing to scream my daughter here too
I only hope that she has taught me enough
And that my daughter is born screaming
Just as loud as her

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