I was born without an anesthetic
perhaps that explains why
pain and I
have been intimate since I first surfaced
rough waters from the beginning
momma always a soft landing
but the world ain’t stopped
slapping me yet
So, I grow in survival
cling to it, the promise of more obstacles
perpetual, so I am never
let down
now, I spend time trying to reincarnate
cosmic redo, energy exchange
scissors drawn, I sever my own cord
returning to the custody of joy
Ray Jane is a Black female poet born in Brooklyn and raised in Far Rockaway Queens. She uses her poetry to lift herself and other women of color. Always aiming to strengthen her voice, Ray Jane has participated in poetic writing workshops focused on empowering women like “RoblesWrites Presents: Respite, Write, and Release™ amongst many others and served as contributing editor for the anthology Love Letters to Gaia (2021). She is published in Lalibreta.online an online poetry journal for Women in Creative Rebellion (2021) and I Can’t Breathe- A Social Justice Literary Magazine. She has also moderated her own workshops with ¡Oyé! Group’s “Poet’s Corner” (2021 and 2022) and hosts open mics such as The Nuyorican Poets Cafe’s Thursday Night Online Open mic (2022).You can hear more of how she uses her voice in over 50 recorded poems on SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/jay-ray-11), walking around NYC on the app Hear, Before https://www.hearbefore.nyc/; and on several podcasts including We Be Imagining/Black Siren Radio, and Sound Minds Podcast’s “Potent Women Wordsmiths”. For more visit ItsRayJane.com.
Snarl 