Exploring Nayyirah Waheed

I came across Nayyirah Waheed perhaps a year ago while scrolling through the explore page on Instagram. Her work immediately spoke to me. Something about her short poignant poems and how she is able to capture the essence of anything in but a few lines captured my soul and I've been intrigued ever since. The first poem I am looking at today is perhaps one of my favorite works. Ever. The poem speaks of the natural fear anxiety womxn experience when encountering men because of the violences practiced upon our bodies. When that "feminine presence" is in his eyes it is perhaps an indication that that he has unlearned (or is in the process of unlearning) toxic masculinity. It is also a relief (as the next few lines indicate) because it means that the womxn does not have to perform undue emotional and intellectual labor to make him understand but a fraction of her experience. For Waheed of course this sexism practiced upon her body is often racialized as well and the fear ...