The Personal is Political

What does this statement mean? It means a lot to me, especially in regards to my poetry. For me, this statement declares that every single work I write, every person, place, or event I bring to life in my work, has a larger social commentary. How I write about relationships reflects how I see relationships functioning in a larger social schema. How I write about trauma has a larger social commentary. How I write about death extends past my own personal experiences and into the realm of the political. The political not solely in the sense of contrasting parties, but the political as a social identity comprised of an assortment of people and their experiences. Whether you want to or not, every time you write you gift commentary on how you experience the world. Every time you write, whether aware of it or not, you are breaking down expectations, adhering to standards, or reimagining the world in an influential way. The personal words you create do not exist in a vacuum, and truly have the power to deconstruct problematic ideologies or reconstruct the way people interact. Use your power of words: the personal is political.

Stay loving, stay kind.