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Writer's pictureMarías at Sampaguitas

1 Poem by Tiny Tanaka


I'm Not Ready Yet Do you remember it?

so the hell begins all over again 

she brings up a past I do not wish to speak of 

in hopes that my sour outlook will turn a different tune 

is it too much to ask for some peace?


Not much. 

replying is risky 

too much said and it will rip the bandaid off without a warning 

too much anger and you’ll dig into the healing flesh 

too many tears and you’ll collapse when you get home 

again 


What do you remember?

i do not know if she is brave or stupid 

such questions would not be tolerated in my world 

does she not know that by now?


i know she wants a reply 

i know that i’m holding too much on my plate 

that i’m balancing on a wire too high to fall from safely 

but how can i remain calm as she 

when my tears flow too quickly 

when my coughs turn into dry heaving 

when my soul feels too flat to get up 

from that fucking uncomfortable chair when the session time is over 

what happens then?


I don’t want to remember it, though. 

i settle for those words 

they don’t leave too many wounds 

and for once it’s the truth


she makes a softened face 

i almost want to believe she feels sympathy towards me 

i want to believe that it’s anything other than pity 

i know pity much too well 

do i trust her or do i not?


I want to forget everything that he did to me. 

oh no 

it’s about to all pour out 


All of the sweet nothings he whispered after it was done. 

it’s vomit 

it’s all verbal vomit 

i can smell the taste collecting in the back of my throat


Like I wasn’t disgusted with what just happened. Like I wasn’t shaking from terror. 

is this only verbal vomit

or am i actually going to puke?


Oh god, why couldn’t he see the pain? He was supposed to care for me. Not fucking use me! I wasn’t a rag doll!

the dam broke 

the tears are flowing 

i need a bucket or bag 

this isn’t going anywhere helpful


the rest of the session draws a blank in my mind

i can’t remember 

and even if i could 

why would i want to why would I want to remember 

what came after the tears 

what came after the hyperventilating 

what came after the drive home that had to be tasked to my mother 

all because i couldn’t handle this pain 

why would i even bother to remember?


It happened nine years ago. We all need time to process. It’s time that you give yourself the chance to grieve properly. It’s time for you to let yourself feel all of the emotions you’ve bottled up all this time. 




Tiny Tanaka is a poetry and prose writer, recovering addict, Hafu-sprinkled with Korean heritage, lesbian, who happens to have borderline personality disorder. They fight for intersectional feminism, LGBT+ rights, and to end the stigma of mental illnesses. 

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