Dusty, dented cans of corn. Stale bottles of aspirin with the label peeling off. The cinnamon sticks that have been in the pantry since 2020. Those are things that come to mind when I think about the prompt from @beausia today: EXPIRATION DATE.

But there are so many things that can expire – words, concepts, ideas, feelings. So today’s poem followed that line of thinking. Find something in your life that is nice and rusty and withered that is no longer serving in any way shape or form and toss it right on out!

xo, adrienne

(1) Expiration Date

on all the mean-spirited, belittling voices in my own head

that tell me I’m not enough

 

on all the side-eyes, whispers, or boldly disrespectful nonsense 

from the mouths of others that say the same

 

on hustling for my own divine-given worth

that was never in question anyway

 

on judging myself against standards that do nothing

but make my existence a crime

 

on jukin’ and jivin’ trying to put on a show

for anyone who won’t acknowledge my humanity

 

(2) Expiration Date

on old forms of schooling

that were only ever about control

 

on new forms of schooling

that are only ever about control

 

on textbooks and pedagogies

that do nothing but manipulate

 

on legalese and policies

that center adults over kids

 

on anything that doesn’t help 

the mind and heart and body to bloom