Other World
 
is it punishment? is it trials? is it forgiveness? is it penance?
is it pleasure? is it humane? is it human nature? is it god?


 
[a ritual of                                                      summoning]
 
take a violent man 
take a violent man who denies his violence
                       
                       
let him summon a fog of guilt and suppression
 
let him believe he is just
 
then, the fire will come
and the gateway to the other world will consume him
 
[a ritual of                                                           summoning]
 
take a woman
violate her life
her body her existence
 
bring her to confront man of his sins
by letting him witness her violations
 
her trauma, displayed and twisted
into living abominations that batter
her for your                             gaze
 
then, the fire will come
and the gateway to the other world will overwhelm her
 
[what is the other world?]
 
is it punishment? is it trials? is it forgiveness? is it penance?
is it pleasure? is it humane? is it human nature? is it god?

on why I look up to Heather
 
Because Heather has agency. Because Heather says no. Because Heather will pick up a steel pipe and bash the heads of monsters in. Because sometimes, Heather doesn’t want to fight. Because Heather wants to flee. Because Heather wants revenge. Because Heather is honest in her hatred. Because Heather is compassionate. Because Heather is just. Because Heather suffers. Because Heather mourns. Because Heather survives. Because despite the trauma and hellscapes, she lives and maybe I can too.

Ashley Miranda is a latinx poet from Chicago. Her work has been previously featured by the Cotton Xenomorph, Memoir Mixtapes, Witch Craft Mag, MAKE magazine and other publications. She has a forthcoming chapbook, dolores in spanish is pain, dolores in lolita is a girl, from Glass Poetry Press. She tweets impulsive poetry and other musings @dustwhispers.