Order. Control. Direction.
I taught high school English for six years.
I state this because I think it is important to know.
I spent six years having my class items moved every. single. day.
Boards erased mid-sentence.
Papers thrown like thoughts I can’t shake into
waste baskets that refused to take them while homework laid
haphazardly on my desk.
Stapler moved to the left
to the right
to the middle.
Mid-conversation my eyes would dart to my class welcome
mat off-centered and looking so unwelcome.
How can you feel welcomed if everything is out of order?
For six years, things were always out of order.
I am a vending machine of a person that pleads to be in order.
My mind will never stop fighting for order.
Direction. Control. Order.
Bree Bailey (she/her) is a proud giggly Latina poet who lives in Southern Austin, TX with her tiny delightful family. As a mental health advocate and former high school educator, Bree speaks openly about her experiences with PTSD, depression and anxiety, while also doing her best to bask in the light, beauty, and grace of the world. Bree’s poems have been featured in Olney Magazine, Exposition Review, West Trade Review, among others. Most recently, Bree won the 2023 Write Bloody Jack McCarthy National Book Prize and her debut poetry collection, Wailing on Whisper Street, is currently available with Write Bloody Publishing and anywhere you can buy books. Follow her on Instagram @breebaileypoetry or visit her at www.breebaileypoetry.com.
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