Course

Vazquez-Valarezo Poetry Award

Document Type

Creative Writing

Publication Date

Spring 2022

Disciplines

Creative Writing | Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Music

Description, Abstract, or Artist's Statement

As a songwriter, I love connecting my poetry to songs. There are so many similarities between life and music, and that is just beautiful to me. I wrote this poem about very real experiences I have had, about the idea of sugarcoating reality for the sake of what life really looks like under the surface. This is similar to my songs, when my melodies are seen as catchy but the lyrics are overlooked. As a queer woman, there have been many times where I have felt silenced, or where my pain has been overlooked and my lyrics haven't been taken seriously. I wrote this poem for anyone who deals with unjust oppressions based off of their identities, so that they don't feel alone in their struggle to sing out.

Comments

1st Place Winner, 2022