bethofalltrades

Dear 20-year-old self-

Bleeding is overused in poetry as a metaphor for emotional pain.

Also, using the phrase "her words flayed the flesh from my genuflecting bones" automatically makes you GOTH.

Love,

Almost-27-year-old-self (who still uses bleeding as a metaphor)

In the summer of 2004, I dabbled in the art of spoken word. I wrote a piece called "101 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Love Me (or, Simple Mathematics)" and it was very well received at the little open mic I frequented.

I have been feeling more poetry recently. I haven't written any in months. When I think about it, that summer was my most prolific, because I'd take my little notebook to open mic and I'd write while the guitar players strummed up on the stage.

Life in 2004 was very inspiring.

I was a pretentious little fuck.

But, I think we all were, so it was okay. I was 22 that summer.

Below the cut is "101 Reasons." I've crossed out everything that no longer applies and that is just plain wrong.* Almost everything was true at the time.

If I were to write this piece today, I would call it, "101 Reasons Why I Am Fucking Awesome-- Because If I Don't Believe It, No One Else Will (or, Math Is Hard.)"

Love,
Beth

( 101 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Love Me (or, Simple Mathmatics) )