One of my goals in life is to
write and publish a poetry book.

The writer
inside of me has always dreamed of becoming an author. As I kid, I used to love
reading Shel Silverstein’s poetry books. I read Where the Sidewalk Ends and
Falling Up over and over again. I remember thinking that I also wanted to
create something from within me.

I still want to use my words to
connect and inspire people. I would
love to do that with poetry. I don’t know what theme I would pick for my poetry
book I’ve collected my poems over the years and they come from
very different spaces in my life. But I’m hoping I find recurring themes or
some sort of story to tell in my collection of poems. 

Here are three poems from my collection: Ocean Tides 2012, Forgiveness 2012, and Awakening 2016.

OCEAN TIDES 2012

And in a
mere moment,

The light of
your touch evades me

It flees
with the set of the sun

And rise of
the cold moon

For our time is set by the retreat and
conquer of ocean tides

Where we
ride destiny’s waves into joy

And
inescapably drown in its pain

For we are
of pure moments,

Awaiting our
time

Where we may
rise and fall with ocean tides

And awake
with the set of the sun

And die with
the rise of the cold moon

And maybe
we’ll embrace a mere moment,

When we can be once more

FORGIVENESS 2012

And when
flowers of dew,

found
sunlight’s kiss,

Her soul ever did sigh

Gates of
green bent gracefully to the wind,

And brown
staircases to heaven

Bowed in
respect

For her eyes of drought,

Once filled with ocean tides;

That inhaled
and exhaled,

With the
rise and set of the moon

Finally
softened with flowers of dew

So her heart
of granite,

Finally crumbled,

To beat, to
breathe,

To pulse
with fire

For her eyes
of drought,

Found
flowers of dew,

When gates
of green opened,

And brown
staircases led to the heavens,

Her heart pulsed with fire once
more.

AWAKENING
2016 


In the midst of the day,

Her mind awakened

And her mouth came to say;

Who am I meant to be?

Where am I meant to stay?

Am I really me?

Or who society determines today?

In the midst of the day,

Her identity came to question and matter

She realized she could use her voice

In the present and in the latter

And in the midst of the day,

She decided she could say

She decided she could choose

What she would leave,

What risks she would take,

And what she would work to achieve

And at the midst of the day,

Her mind awakened

And her mouth came to say,

I will be who I dream to be

I will create a place for my stay

I will embrace and create me

Not what society determines today

And in the midst of the day,

She used her voice to say what matters

In the present and in the latter



The only people who I’ve ever shared my poems with are my mom,
boyfriend, and very few girlfriends. This is a nerve wracking thing that I’m
sharing with you today especially since it’s something that no one else really
knows about me.

What
is something that no one knows about you?

Love,

Emma

This post is in collaboration for American Eagle Outfitters Spring 2017
#WeAllCan Campaign.

Photos: Miriam Subbiah