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Letters to Home

Isay Gavica | Spoken Word Video Performance | 2021

On days I’m low on energy or depressed, logging notes on my journal or typing on my phone then transferring them seems like an impossible task. I’ve resorted to recording voice memos to myself. There’s something cathartic about actually speaking my thoughts out loud and being able to hear them back when I replay the audio clip. I’ve also been spending a lot of time on our terrace, enjoying the cool breeze and staring at the stars. I used to only recognize Orion, but now I can spot the Big Dipper too. This is my rest time, but also time I allow myself to talk to people, think about anything I want, and record any ideas I think of.

Figure 1. The view during one of many nights I spent on the terrace, edited to highlight the Big Dipper

Figure 2. First drafts of the four spoken word poems in Letters to Home

I had also been frustrated about my poem drafts for a long time. I had rushed to complete them in time for the proposal submission, and it was difficult to change them or to figure out how I wanted them to end. I knew I was dissatisfied with how the first three poems ended but I didn’t exactly know which direction I wanted to take them. Eventually, I found a way to end my third poem that didn’t make me cringe. I did a lot of reflecting and looking back to try and dig up the emotions or thoughts I had during that time. Initially, I wanted to go specific and list down the details of the event, but I found that describing it in a more general way made more sense.