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he was supposed to be            the first male love of your - life                                                      you still search for him             everywhere                                      -Father

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he was supposed to be            the first male love of your - life                                                      you still search for him             everywhere                                      -Father

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I really like the structure of this poem because it starts of very vague, talking about a male figure with important influence over your life. And we learn a lot about the narrator's life and society in general from the reveal of who she is talking about.

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i struggle so deeper                      to understand                                 how someone can                        pour their entire soul                      blood and energy                        into someone                                   without wanting                             anything in                                    return                                                   -I will have to wait till i'm a mother

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i struggle so deeper                      to understand                                 how someone can                        pour their entire soul                      blood and energy                        into someone                                   without wanting                             anything in                                    return                                                   -I will have to wait till i'm a mother

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A lot like the father poem, this poem structure begins very vague, relating a personal attachment and then turning it into a subject that any reader could understand what type of specific feeling the poet is trying to portray.

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I do not want to have you                to fill the empty parts of me             i want to be full on my own                 i want to be so complete              i could light a whole city              and then                                           i want to have you                       cause the two of us -combined                                            could set it on fire

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I do not want to have you                to fill the empty parts of me             i want to be full on my own                 i want to be so complete              i could light a whole city              and then                                           i want to have you                       cause the two of us -combined                                            could set it on fire

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This poem uses imagery of a city and uses it as a metaphor for a person who is content with being by themselves and how they long for a relationship that could be exciting but at the very same time dangerous to her.

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did you think i was a city               big enough for a weekend -getaway                                              i am the town surrounding it      the one you've never heard - of                                                     but always pass through                         there are no neon lights here                                                  no skyscrapers or statues                              but there is thunder                         for i make bridges tremble                     i am not street meet i am - homemade jam                             thick enough to cut the -sweetest                                                               thing your lips will touch                      i am not police sirens                     i am the crackle of a -fireplace                                    i'd burn you and you still               coulden't take your eyes off - me                                                    cause i'd look so beautiful- doing it you'd blush                       i am not a hotel i am home            i am not the whiskey you -want                                           i am the water you need              don't come here with -expectations                          and try to make a vacation -out of me           

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did you think i was a city               big enough for a weekend -getaway                                              i am the town surrounding it      the one you've never heard - of                                                     but always pass through                         there are no neon lights here                                                  no skyscrapers or statues                              but there is thunder                         for i make bridges tremble                     i am not street meet i am - homemade jam                             thick enough to cut the -sweetest                                                               thing your lips will touch                      i am not police sirens                     i am the crackle of a -fireplace                                    i'd burn you and you still               coulden't take your eyes off - me                                                    cause i'd look so beautiful- doing it you'd blush                       i am not a hotel i am home            i am not the whiskey you -want                                           i am the water you need              don't come here with -expectations                          and try to make a vacation -out of me           

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This poem is kind of a sequel to the previous poem because it still uses the metaphorical imagery of the city to describe someone else's mental state. For previously she was a city and now she is the small town surrounding it. Meaning that the last relationship she was involved in damaged her and now she's more careful and knows what's best for me.

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love is not cruel                                     we are cruel                                    love is not a game                          we have made a game                 out of love

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love is not cruel                                     we are cruel                                    love is not a game                          we have made a game                 out of love

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Through experience we manage to see certain concepts differently, and the narrator uses the metaphor for a game because she got "Played'

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sometimes                           the apology                                                     never comes                                   when it is wanted                                .                                                                    and when it comes                    it is neither wanted                      nor needed                                              -you are too late                                                

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sometimes                           the apology                                                     never comes                                   when it is wanted                                .                                                                    and when it comes                    it is neither wanted                      nor needed                                              -you are too late                                                

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The poet's narrator discusses the truth of how life moves on for everyone else even after being wronged, and sometimes it is best to just move on instead of bringing up bad blood.

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the next time he                                    points out the                                     hair on your legs is                                        growing back remind                           that boy your body                                is not his home                                he is a guest                                   warn him to                                        never outstep                                   his welcome                                   again

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the next time he                                    points out the                                     hair on your legs is                                        growing back remind                           that boy your body                                is not his home                                he is a guest                                   warn him to                                        never outstep                                   his welcome                                   again

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This poem in the collection is a hint of the beginning of her self love for herself and her body after being hurt with relationships. She uses metaphorical imagery to use her body as a house that must be respected.

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my issue with what they - consider beautiful                            centers around excluding - people                                         i find hair beautiful                       when a woman wears it               like a garden on her skin                   that is the definition of - beauty                                           big hooked noses                                     pointing upwards towards -the sky                                       like they're rising                           to the occasion                              skin the color of the earth              my ancestors planted crops - on                                                            to feed a lineage of women - with                                        thighs thick as tree trunks             eyes like almonds                              deeply hooded with - conviction                                      the rivers of punjab                    flow through my -bloodstream so                             don't tell me my women                 aren't as beautiful                         as the ones in                                  your country

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my issue with what they - consider beautiful                            centers around excluding - people                                         i find hair beautiful                       when a woman wears it               like a garden on her skin                   that is the definition of - beauty                                           big hooked noses                                     pointing upwards towards -the sky                                       like they're rising                           to the occasion                              skin the color of the earth              my ancestors planted crops - on                                                            to feed a lineage of women - with                                        thighs thick as tree trunks             eyes like almonds                              deeply hooded with - conviction                                      the rivers of punjab                    flow through my -bloodstream so                             don't tell me my women                 aren't as beautiful                         as the ones in                                  your country

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This poem not only tackles self love and body appreciation but also discusses how heritage and colonialism has disfigured our concept of beauty- using it to push away people that don't fit the mainstream idea of beauty. And this poem tells the audience that heritage is very important and beauty is completely in the eye of the beholder.

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what terrifies me most is -how we                                                    foam at the mouth with -envy                                                   when others succeed                     but sigh in relief                             when they are failing                       .                                                         our struggle to                                         celebrate each other is                            what's proven most difficult            in being human             

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what terrifies me most is -how we                                                    foam at the mouth with -envy                                                   when others succeed                     but sigh in relief                             when they are failing                       .                                                         our struggle to                                         celebrate each other is                            what's proven most difficult            in being human             

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The poem discusses the human nature of competitiveness. In the first verse we see the narrator's disappointment in the behaviors that humans do and in the second verse

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how can our love die                    if it's written                                in these pages                                 

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how can our love die                    if it's written                                in these pages                                 

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The poet questions the concept of forever, for when even when relationships and things die people still hold on to memories and written evidence. So does anything really ever end?

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your art                                            is not about how many - people                                           like your work                              your art                                         is about                                            if your heart likes your work              if your soul likes your work            it's about how honest                     you are with yourself                 and you                                           must never                                     trade honesty                                               for reliability                                -to all you young poets 

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your art                                            is not about how many - people                                           like your work                              your art                                         is about                                            if your heart likes your work              if your soul likes your work            it's about how honest                     you are with yourself                 and you                                           must never                                     trade honesty                                               for reliability                                -to all you young poets 

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The poet discusses how to be truly happy with what you do, you must appreciate your own work and know that you are comfortable with yourself and how you do things.

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give to those                                 who have nothing                        to give to you                                 -seva (selfless service)

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give to those                                 who have nothing                        to give to you                                 -seva (selfless service)

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We come to a full circle, where earlier the poet talks about how they can never understand how to give love to someone who can't give it back (their mother) and now we see the poet giving out the advice to do the same thing mothers do. Be selfless.