BIO
Lisa “rubi g.” Ventura (she/her) is a Washington Heights bred, Afro-Dominican poet and creative nonfiction writer. Lisa published "Aprende a pelar platano and other lessons my Mother taught me to be a good wife," "No es lo mismo, ni es igual- Habichuelas con dulce edition, “Amor de Hierro,'' and Emerging from the Cocoon on www.Dominicanwriters.com. She also published By 11am on www.raisingmothers.com and When my father called me about his Unemployment on www.slate.com. “Sensing love in the time of Corona'' was selected for The Billie Holiday Theatre’s 50 in 50 special edition. You can find her at www.lapoetarubi.com or @poeta_rubi_g.
Vulnerability: When the sea breaks free
she overflooded the town
liberating matter filled with
months of anguish and strain
the salty waters flowed,
and flowed,
and flowed
breaking levees and dams
while bursting clogged pipes
of waste that could no longer be contained
so it dripped,
and dripped,
and dripped
refusing to swallow one more thing
silent waves granted her permission to release
unlike any other way
she had done before-
allowing her 8-year-old boy
to witness a gorgeous catastrophe
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Radical Joy: A remembering
don’t
forget to dance child,
oh beautiful child,
you are instrument of the heavens
gifting happiness and blessings
to those surrounding your life
abundant and prosperous is the light
you bring, when unleashing
spirits trapped
within
don’t
let negativity
get in your way child,
oh beautiful child,
protect your joy at all costs
as you transcend into higher planes
don’t
forget to laugh, child
oh beautiful child,
you are anointed
you have been chosen
by ancestors lingering
in your spine
cackle, weep and let no obstacle
dull your light
the spells have been cast away
you are within your divine right, child
oh beautiful, child