A Rose Bloomed
by Trisha Jandoc
LaGuardia Community College
Trisha Jandoc was born in the Philippines and moved to the U.S with her family when she was just seven years old. She is currently a student at LaGuardia Community College where she studies journalism and will be graduating in June 2021. At the very core, she enjoys literature. Some inspirations are Maya Angelou, Audre Lorde, Courtney Peppernell, and Robert M. Drake.
A Rose Bloomed
My inner child
I’m sorry the world couldn’t offer you what you needed
In times where you should’ve felt wanted
But you’ve found that you rise above it
And with it, came the roses
To every disappointment that didn’t break you
A rose bloomed
For every stick and stone
That never tore you apart
The angels sing
And to every piece of self you had to pick up
Your future self-thanked you for it
And those that needed to include you
Burned you
Where it be flesh and bones
They burned you
But even hell couldn’t afford you
And while the fire burnt out from your flesh
And all was left was ashes
You rose above it
For every time you are challenged
A rose bloomed
The angels sing
And the hell be damned
Interview With The Author
1. What was your inspiration for this piece?
At the time that I made this poem, I remember witnessing so much hate in the world. Hate, that is still occurring, unfortunately. But there is something to be said about hate, it’s almost always unfounded. Given everything that has happened this past year and the past couple of months, it seemed all too familiar to the discrimination I faced at different points in my life. And witnessing these occurrences repeat as I’ve grown up certainly creates a formidable fear that I have of bias and to simply take up space. Something that shows up inadvertently through my writing. In the moment of writing this poem, I guess like everyone else witnessing all these injustices, I wanted to create the space to empower myself and to not give in to the fear and the hatred.
2. What is your creative process?
With this piece in particular, I pushed myself to become vulnerable, something that I tend to avoid when facing challenging and even sensitive topics. I took a Creative Non-Fiction workshop course last year and one of the greatest tips I’ve received from taking that course was to not shy away from that vulnerability. If anything, your writing becomes authentic and strong when you give yourself the permission to be as open and candid as you can. However, I think it’s not easy to lay out everything that you’re feeling, nevertheless, it’s still a great start. Similar to this poem, once I allowed myself to be open, I just kept writing from then on.
3. What are some influences on your artistic process?
I love poets that bear a great deal of wisdom through their writing. Writers that can emulate a sense of understanding for the human experience, whether that’d be painful or uplifting, are a token of that person’s journey. For instance, Maya Angelou, an amazing writer who has lived through it all bears a great deal of wisdom through her writing. I admire her honesty and her rawness through any body of work she’s published. But most all, her poem, “Still I Rise”, comes to mind when writing this poem. I had the chance to attend an event not too long ago that celebrated women, inclusivity, gender, and representation, and one of the speakers recited “Still I Rise”, and it’s just one of those pieces that just take your breath away.
4. Is there anything more you’d like our readers/viewers to know about you or your work?
Outside of writing, I have an affinity for humanitarian efforts and dedicate time to work for organizations.