Five Poems for a Friday

A Tribute to Andrea Gibson

Happy Friday, Consumers. In lieu of your Friday Five, I’m sharing poetry today. I’ve been reading a lot of Andrea Gibson’s poems this week — they passed away of ovarian cancer this week at the age of 49. I wanted to share some of their dazzling work with you, but first here are some words from their wife:

andreagibson

A post shared by @andreagibson

It says a lot about the sort of person Andrea was (seemingly cool as hell) that four of their ex-girlfriends were there in their last moments. It’s also poetic that their final day happened to be International Non-Binary People’s Day. Now let’s get into these gutting (in the best way) poems:

Here’s an excerpt from a favorite, How the Worst Day of My Life Became the Best:

^{“When you are trapped in a nightmare, your motivation to awaken will be so much greater than that of someone caught up in a relatively pleasant dream.”
—Eckhart Tolle}

When I realized the storm 
was inevitable, I made it 
my medicine.

Took two snowflakes 
on the tongue in the morning, 
two snowflakes on the tongue
by noon.

There were no side effects.
Only sound effects. Reverb
added to my lifespan, 
an echo that asked—

What part of your life’s record is skipping?
What wound is on repeat?
Have you done everything you can
to break out of that groove?

Wellness Check is such a marvel to me. In 29 words, Andrea delivers a gut-punch. Do you know how hard it is to convey much of anything in 29 words?

Another beautiful, resonant poem of theirs is Instead of Depression:

try calling it hibernation.
Imagine the darkness is a cave
in which you will be nurtured
by doing absolutely nothing.
Hibernating animals don’t even dream.
It’s okay if you can’t imagine
Spring. Sleep through the alarm
of the world. Name your hopelessness
a quiet hollow, a place you go
to heal, a den you dug,
Sweetheart, instead
of a grave.

It’s also worth watching any videos of Andrea performing, their presence is gripping even when the subject matter is bleak, like MAGA Hat in the Chemo Room.

And finally, here’s one that makes me cry every time, Love Letter from the Afterlife. You can listen to Andrea reading it or read it on their Substack below. This piece was inspired by their Grandma Faye and they wrote it to comfort to people navigating grief.

Love Letter From The Afterlife

“In my back pocket is a love note with every word you wish you’d said. At night I sit ecstatic at the loom weaving forgiveness into our worldly regrets. All day I listen to the radio of your memories.”

May all of our hearts be covered in stretch marks,

Roya