Julia Travers

Mine

Sometimes
I try too hard
to say something,
to be heard.
How long I have wanted 
to be seen
and heard.
I make a discordant sound, 
at times.
Sometimes, I am mute 
with effort,
stunted
Sometimes, 
I make a mess.
Sometimes, I am the one 
who doesn’t listen
to my voice.
That’s okay,
I tell myself. 
I stop running, 
and a new airway 
opens in my throat.
I jump, 
a happy colt.
Do you see 
that I have my own arms?
This body is mine,
I am the only native.
The universe gave me 
to me.
I remember the map 
where you marked
forbidden territory 
with your red marker.
It didn’t keep me 
from going inward.
It didn’t make me tame.
It didn’t save you
from yourself. 
I hope you find your way home.
It is not here.

 
In I'm Singing," a stylized character with bright white skin has their mouth open, small pointy teeth displayed. Their eyes are closed & their black hair lifts off the scalp in thick marks. They wear a red t-shirt. "I'm singing" in script behind.

"I'm Singing," acrylic on canvas, 2010

In the neutral-toned painting, "Untitled," a simplified, oval-shaped, small footed figure painted in black stands alone in a corner of a muted gray and blue room. A white rounded square surrounds them. The colors outside of this are lighter.

"Untitled," mixed media on canvas, 2019

Backwards

I can’t speak words
my head is sideways
my mind is sideways
can you still understand me
I never adapted
to life
I walk backwards in circles
would you like to join me
I’m tired of trying to align my wheel
to a track
maybe
I’m a runaway train
no wait
I remember
I’m a horse

Julia Travers (she/her) is a writer, artist and teacher in Virginia, U.S.A. She grew up near the Chesapeake Bay and lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She writes poetry, fiction, essays and news. Her creative works are published with Short Édition, Fish Publishing, Bowery Poetry, Rattapallax, On Being/ American Public Media, Ecological Citizen and others. She was recently awarded a Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing Poet-Author Fellowship. Find her work on her WEBSITE and on Twitter as @traversjul.