What I Didn't Say When I Gave Your Eulogy

06.25.2022

Umma understands one out of three of my poems. This is why she declares I sound like a poet. I read Elizabeth Barrett Browning to her before I gave up on art, small girl of ten brimming with precious audacity not yet oxidized by sharp gust of outside air; recited Jabberwocky in a basement, sang Maya Angelou over the counter of an addressless existence. As long as we had no house, I could not be contained. But I gave up on art when I got my first room, blunt molasses space concretizer of reality, snuffer of dreams. Word became flesh and I hated mine, blunt molasses block of pound. What words could soften the thud of me hitting air?

GriefKristina BuschAugust 30, 2023grief, grandmother, poetryComment

An Abecedarian of Loss

abecedarian twenty-six letters, each one a compact unit of communication, a twisted riddle, a maze of red tape from well-lit offices; the only means of containing my sorrow now that all I have left of my brother are memories and letters.

GriefJulia NusbaumAugust 27, 2021grief, death of a sibling, Recovery, regret, poetryComment

Resignation

It all comes down to an email.
You're not welcome back without a letter,
explaining your illness.

Mental HealthJulia NusbaumMarch 29, 2019mental health, poetry, feminisms, depressionComment

Vocal Power

It trembles in my diaphragm.
The stretch and turn of muscle
guiding sound,

#metooJulia NusbaumJanuary 31, 2019#metoo, poetry Comment

Me Too

A body barely breathed
Inhale
A lizard lands
Exhale
His eyes give fire

#metooJulia NusbaumJanuary 28, 2019poetry, #metooComment

Mr. Taylor

Probably a polar bear was not a good choice
for my first attempt at whittling.
A hamster would have been simpler
and avoided the multiple leg fractures.
“Don’t worry, girl. No problem,” Mr Taylor said,

Funny Story...Julia NusbaumJune 26, 2018School, teacher, poetry, funny story...Comment

Imperfect Perfection

Ladies wear makeup, party dresses, and shoes.
Like to paint their nails and wear stylish updos.
A life made by having lots of material things,
along with it, the stuff that style surely brings.

Beauty StandardsJulia NusbaumApril 2, 2018beauty standards, Self esteem, Strong women, poetryComment

Bikini Body

Are you are uncomfortable by what you see?
I would not be surprised.
We're trained to judge a body by what it is,
and what it is not.

Beauty StandardsJulia NusbaumMarch 28, 2018beauty standards, self care, Finding myself, Self esteem, poetryComment

A Love Letter to All the Advocates Who Have Had Enough

I still get pangs of guilt when I go by a hospital
and I remember the 3am, 7am, 11pm or Saturday 1pm calls
beckoning me to reach into myself and pull out some sort of aid for another person.
Reaching into the mess,

Women at WorkJulia NusbaumFebruary 1, 2018women at work, story, feminist, poetry, Mental Health, #metooComment

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