Erin Anastasia - "Reasons Not To" (WOWPS 2016)

Erin Anastasia competes in prelims at WOWPS 2016. Recorded at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. Thank you Sergio Torres for filming. Instagram: ErinAnastasiaPoet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Erin-Anastas... Tumblr: http://erinanastasiapoet.tumblr.com "Reasons Not To" Because my bed is way too comfy to leave it. Because I’d have to turn on the lights and this hour is one that’s too late to be lit up anyway. Because I'll feel guilty in the morning. Because it’s not going to stop this hurt from coming back again. Because if someone sees what I’ve done they’ll look at me a certain way. Because I don’t want to be looked at that way. Because if I go deep enough to draw blood I’ll have to find a band-aid. Because I don’t think we have any band-aids. Because any reason is a good enough reason not to. Because I don’t want to Because even though I know this anger needs an exit and I could so easily carve it one I’ll let it stay I’ll let it wreck something else like my stomach or my sleep but I’ll save my body, maybe because it’s the only part of me that you can see but then again, maybe because it is me, It's on my side in this fight and I can't keep treating it like the enemy, because my strength is stronger than this pain is painful because the only way I want my mom to find out is from my mouth telling her about this thing that I used to do. because if I can make it one month, six months, one year, I can be proud enough to remain in my bed on the darkest of nights and not turn on the lights clutching excuses in my hands no matter bullshit or legitimate because any reason is a good enough reason not to.