Sticks & Stones
I won't bother holding my breath
Excerpt
“They say sticks and stones,
but their words won’t leave me alone…
Can you see me?
Until you care to save me,
I’ll be here…
underwater.”
Reflection & Context
This piece was written from a place where words hurt more than silence, and judgment cut deeper than what had already been done to my body. It carries the voice of someone drowning in shame that was never hers to carry, questioning her worth, her beauty, her future, and whether she would ever be loved gently and fully.
It speaks from that lonely space of feeling invisible, misunderstood, and reduced to what others have said or taken. The cry of “underwater” is not just about sadness — it’s about the exhaustion of trying to breathe in an environment that keeps pressing you down. It’s the ache of wanting to be seen, rescued, and reminded that your life has value even when the world has treated you as disposable.
Reflection Prompt
Where in your life have words wounded you more deeply than you let on?
What would it feel like to let yourself be seen, believed, and held with compassion instead of judgment?
Original Performance
This piece was originally performed as part of the Lips & Poetry series, where spoken word meets lived experience. Watch the original recording below to hear the rhythm, breath, and emotion that first carried these words.