Hi!

I'm Omar Holmon. I'll be reading a piece titled,  "Way too long since I sat by myself" by Christabel Cruz.

The reason I chose Christabel Cruz is because she's a very, very, very strong writer. However, she's also in political science and she's out making the world a better place, so she never really got to delve too much into her, uh, her craft and her art, uh, which she's coming back into now. And so I just want to be a person helping to spread the great word of Christabel Cruz because she's amazing and she's—she'll be your favorite poet that you don't even know.

I also owe her money, so I have to do this. I'm contractually obligated to do this. Men around me A forest of men around me Tangling me in their vines The machete in my hand is hot Tells me I am ready to cut them down To clear the path To move them out my way Yemanya reminds me… Maybe I don’t need to Nothing is holding me here I am not stuck I live at the center I am the heart I am the river, moving yet still I am the roots, feeling and feeding They are not tangling me They are called to me They need me to grow before they go their own way But I can’t notice I stand, I move, I grow All on my own Too tall Too deep Too busy Too calm Too young Too ancient to look down.

Every day is a promise I have kept To myself The promise is simply this: grow. Every night with you is a promise I break Well, I want to be a woman of my word So looks like you gotta go