ADVICE FOR PERICULUM

My name is Zyan, and I’m a multiracial artist (Polynesian, Chinese, and white). I use the word artist because it covers all mediums of art. I don’t believe that a person can only be a single type of artist...rather, I believe that we each have many talents and passions that we can pursue. It is my goal to become a well rounded artist through tapping into as many different art forms as much as possible! 

This poem was created as an assignment in my English class. It was written in a sort of response to the novel “Wide Sargasso Sea” by Jean Rhys. I used the reoccurring theme of insecurity as a whole but also specifically male insecurity. Not only did I take from the novel, but I also used personal past experiences as the bases for my message. I wrote this piece as advice to those who are on the receiving end of another’s insecurity. I wish that someone would have given me this advice before, so I hope that the poem may help others in even the smallest of ways. 
Enjoy:) 

ADVICE FOR PERICULUM By Zyan Ha

The scrunch of eyebrows Meet the snare of the lip. An aggressive shake Seizes the full length of his body. Seemingly soft features shift into rigidity, And a transformative temper appears to possess his spirit.

But,

It is advised to take a step back And review the subject in full. Find that from another angle, The once dense wool wall of hate Transforms to merely a soft silky garment; The deceiving opaque curtain Is only a transparent window...

Find that the fiery fumes of fury That foam from the frazzled yet familiar face, Are followed by an expression of fear For you have discovered the funplex of emotion That is foxlike in its hiding.

ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Look left, and you will hear mother’s monstrous rumble. Look right, and you will feel father’s everlasting sting Across the epidermis of your cheek. Look down, and you will hear friend’s mocking howl, a cackling curse. Look up, and you will feel world’s powerful pulse of pressure, Pumping you with proof of your powerlessness.

Look straight ahead, and you will see him, The subject, cowering in the corner, Consumed by all that is surrounding.

This tormenting display is the exact source-- The root, The sprout, The seed-- From which his instability has grown. That seed for him Is now a tree, As massive as the Oak And as despondent as the Willow.

Broken, bitter, Bubbling with self-hate, His emotional baggage Beats against the wall of his skull, Driving him to bow in pain.

Now,

Rewind to the initial position, Where his stance seemed only of power, When small storms suddenly switched to downpour, And his tremble seemed to nearly break the earth.

Use newly obtained awareness as advantage; Reflect on the newly learned framework of him. Remember the sting and the rumble, The cower and the pulse. Choose not to digest his pain as yours. Rather, use your perspective to decipher the dilemma at hand, Before taking a deeper dive into an indefinite ditch.