Nayyirah Waheed wrote a poem that looks like this:
someone can be madly in love with
you. and still not be ready. they can
love you in a way you have never been
loved. and still not join you on the
bridge. and whatever their reasons
you must leave. because you never
ever have to inspire anyone to meet
you on the bridge. you never ever
have to convince someone to do the
work to be ready. there is more
extraordinary love. more love that you
have never seen. out here in this
wide. and wild universe. and there is
the love that will be ready.
Like, I get it. I mean, I'm standing on the ground looking up at the problem and I can see the beta. I totally get it: Right foot on the chip. Crimp hard left, fulcrum-shift right to catch a left-facing gaston. Lean hard right to turn the gaston into a juggy side-pull...
and whatever their reasons
you must leave.
In June I ran a marathon. I started running because I was tired of not being able to breathe and because I wanted to do something impossible. Same reasons I went back to school. Less than a week after finishing my marathon, I graduated from college. It was surprising to me how similar the two experiences felt. Both were hard, both made me cry, and both were totally doable.
there is more
extraordinary love. more love that you
have never seen.
...Right foot on the chip. Crimp hard left, fulcrum shift right to catch that gaston...
out here in this
wide. and wild universe.
I went to England earlier this month. My doctoral advisor was awarded a grant to do some cool collaborative seaweed work with some fungus people, and she let me come along to learn. I got a stamp in my poor, naked passport. I met some lovely people. I learned some new weedy things. After a very lab coat kind of morning, I stopped in front of a picture window in the hallway to look out over the North Atlantic. The world felt very, very big and Time felt like a friend.
because you never
ever have to inspire anyone to meet
you on the bridge.
...fulcrum shift right to catch that gaston. Lean right...
Next week I'll move to Alabama to start my PhD. I'm going to study the life cycles and mating systems of red algae. Because I'm tired of not being able to breathe, and I need to do something impossible.
and there is
the love that will be ready.
...turn the gaston into a juggy side-pull...
and whatever their reasons
you must leave.
In June I ran a marathon. I started running because I was tired of not being able to breathe and because I wanted to do something impossible. Same reasons I went back to school. Less than a week after finishing my marathon, I graduated from college. It was surprising to me how similar the two experiences felt. Both were hard, both made me cry, and both were totally doable.
there is more
extraordinary love. more love that you
have never seen.
...Right foot on the chip. Crimp hard left, fulcrum shift right to catch that gaston...
out here in this
wide. and wild universe.
I went to England earlier this month. My doctoral advisor was awarded a grant to do some cool collaborative seaweed work with some fungus people, and she let me come along to learn. I got a stamp in my poor, naked passport. I met some lovely people. I learned some new weedy things. After a very lab coat kind of morning, I stopped in front of a picture window in the hallway to look out over the North Atlantic. The world felt very, very big and Time felt like a friend.
because you never
ever have to inspire anyone to meet
you on the bridge.
...fulcrum shift right to catch that gaston. Lean right...
Next week I'll move to Alabama to start my PhD. I'm going to study the life cycles and mating systems of red algae. Because I'm tired of not being able to breathe, and I need to do something impossible.
and there is
the love that will be ready.
...turn the gaston into a juggy side-pull...
