Peas in a pod
are accustomed
to company, but
I am not
a pea. When I think
of allowing life to grow
within
hesitation blooms
overthinking ensues.
Not because I cannot
nurture,
but i wonder
if it might be
against my nature
to house anything
besides myself.
My walls feel too thin
I do not want to risk
them caving in.
It’s the invasiveness; for me
to share my body with an other.
Something that becomes someone else.
Another.
I cower
at the vulnerability
of the act.
A power
only my body
can exact.
Then I think,
that another me
is a White Man’s worst nightmare
if I so choose,
and I grin.
Kamilah Mercedes Valentín Diaz is a chronic overthinker and the author of Moriviví: To Have Died yet Lived, her debut poetry collection with Alegría Publishing, containing bilingual poetry. Originally from Puerto Rico, Kamilah has tons of experience with change, but during the pandemic she was forced to sit still. With so much time to spare and her mental health circling the drain Kamilah found refuge in writing. Her family, sheer stubbornness, therapy, and writing journey helped her come back to life. If you want to keep up with her and explore more of her work, you can follow her on Instagram @kams_conchispas.