Healing over Him
My Resistance to Heartbreak
This piece was create in Weekend Words. A generative writing space that is prompt-driven and an affirmative space for the Black diaspora. We don’t critique. We celebrated in affirming truth and it is with the truth that we are encouraged to write deeper. We are sharpened by the talent in the room. This poem was written from a prompt about Zora Neale Hurston’s short story Sweat.
The title comes from a student after reading the poem in class, Healing over Him. The students were asked to expand their ideas about love and heartbreak and to write their own poems about the pain, the refusal and the new action of love whatever that might be. Here’s an opportunity for you too. To think about all the ways life can be delicious when we are unmated.
The pain demanded a break. I don’t do breaking. Broken hearts don’t beat, I do tuck and roll mornings with sunsets. The pain demanded gaslighting I don’t do gaslighting. Gaslighting don’t mend. I do Haiti and folklore truth with magic. The pain demanded a scream I don’t do screaming. Screaming voices don’t speak. I do silence and breath evenings with sunrises. The pain demanded death. I don’t do dying. Dying people don’t dreams. I do singing and dancing walks with prayers. The pain demanded crying. I don’t do crying. Crying don’t heal broken men. I do new lovers and libraries Weekend Words with community. The pain demanded fighting. I don’t do fighting. Fighting don’t bring men home. I do packing and leaving summers with forgiveness. The pain demanded sweat but I don’t do sweating. Sweating don’t lift burdens I do laughter and poetry verses with love-making.