An acrostic poem attributed to Julia Figliotti titled "Don't Let Them Tell Your Story" that reads: "Dear one, I implore you to / Open your eyes to the undeniable weight, the / Natural and irrefutable importance of your existence / Thus far // Lower your standards of greatness when you / Examine your reflection in a mirror calibrated / To the expectations of a machine working tirelessly to put you in the ground // Tear down the fences built over generations that / Hem you in from siblings who wish to / Entice you with the purest sin of freedom through power / Manifested and realized in a great awakening // Tremble, if your body demands it, whether your voice is strong or on the / Edge of a whisper / Let it all out / Lay yourself bare // You are here, after everything, an / Outcome still in the making / Unpredictable, unmistakable / Raw and brilliant at once // So make the choice to / Teach anyone who will listen just who you are / One in billions, perhaps, but / Ready to change the world, starting in / Your very bones"

Tuesdays are for acrostics. Last night's poem was grown from a free, 4-hour #VOICEBuffalo training on organizing, self-interest, and one-to-ones, led by the incomparable Christian Parra with #PeoplesAction.

#acrostic #poetry