BIO
Jasmine Gonzalez lives in New York City and is a senior at Lehman College majoring in English Literature. Writing poetry is how she reclaims power over the aspects of her mental health that can spin out of control. She’s submitted to Lehman’s literary magazine, Obscura, where she’s held the secretary position since 2021. As a member of Lehman’s English Honors Program, her thesis focused on Nuyorican women writers and their impact on the literary world. Jasmine in the process of strengthening her identity as a woman of color and hopes to publish her writing to help those who struggle with mental health.
Thunder Broke the Clock
I’m five years old again.
The swift motion of the dark clouds outside of my fifth-floor window,
Mimics the fear that is rapidly coursing through my veins.
My senses activating like a newly lit switchboard.
Eyes darting back and forth as I stare out the window,
Awaiting the threat that nature is brewing.
The smell of the moisture coming from the open window,
Warns me that I’m running out of time.
Feeling the sweat that is pooling in my hands,
I am struggling to close the wide-open window.
A building sensitivity to loud noises,
Waiting for the crash that will start the frenzy.
The walls of my studio apartment begin to shake,
As the loud BOOM penetrates the room like a hard punch.
My heart jumps into my throat.
The muscles of my arms and legs start to tense.
A brilliant flash of lightning illuminates the room.
I tightly shut my eyes.
I pull my sheet up over my head like a child hiding from the monster in the closet.
Every storm is like a time machine that I can’t control.