“You are a citizen, and citizenship carries responsibilities.”
~Paul Collier
The weight of the world is on my shoulders. School is incredibly stressful and on top of that, I am playing four sports currently. The way my mom puts it, you only have twenty four hours in a day and I have thirty hours worth of things that I need to do. I arrive at school everyday with bags drooping under my eyes. And somehow, I manage to get through the day. During my day, I am challenged with being a good citizen, and I am also challenged with being a responsible teenager and it’s up to me to make the right decisions.
“Read me a poem, X? I want to remember your voice when I think about tonight”
~Elizabeth Acevedo, Poet X
In the novel The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, Xiomara’s relationship with Aman is important, because Aman gives Xiomara confidence in herself that no one else gives her. As Xiomara and Aman’s relationship starts to grow, they start going to the smoke park everyday after school and listen to music together. Today however Aman says “No music today, X. Instead I want to hear you. Read me something” (111). This meeting in the smoke park, is the first time in the Xiomara and Aman’s relationship that Aman shows interest in Xiomara’s poetry and into her as a person. Xiomara expects Aman’s request to listen to her poems and shares to him her work, even though she feels a little scared to do so. Aman tells her that the poems are superb and that he would like to listen to them again, this gives Xiomara confidence in her poetry. At Reuben’s house party Xiomara and Aman start to dance, and in the middle of a song Xiomara says she needs some air and she steps outside. Aman follows her and sits down next to her, when Xiomara and Aman are sitting alone together on Reuben’s stoop, Aman says to Xiomara, “Read me a poem, X? I want to remember your voice when I think about tonight” (169). Xiomara constantly faces issues with confidence in herself and in what she can do, throughout the text. However, with Aman showing interest in not only her poems but also her as a person, Xiomara is growing confident in herself. She is opening up and becoming more vulnerable with Aman, which shows growth in Xiomara and in her relationship with Aman. Throughout the text we see that Xiomara does not have a lot of confidence in herself and her abilities, however when she is with Aman she is filled with confidence in herself. Aman is an important character in Xiomara’s life, because he gives her something that no one else can, confidence.
Twin asks me if I’m ok. And my arms don’t know which one they want to become: a beckoning hug, or falling anvils
~Elizabeth Acevedo, Poet X
Poet X: How a relationship at home matters
In the Poet X by Elizabeth Acevado, Xiomara’s relationship with her twin is important, because he is the only person in her family who she can rely on to support her and be a friend. After watching basketball in their neighborhood, X was teased about her body by some teenage boys, and once Twin, X and X’s friend Caridad were home, Twin offered some comfort. In the poem Okay?, Xiomara recalls, “Twin asks me if I’m ok. And my arms don’t know which one they want to become: a beckoning hug, or falling anvils” (54). The poem shows that even if she does not show it often, X appreciates Twin’s check-ins, and how he shows he cares. She likes having condolence sometimes, and he pays attention to her. While this is an example of Twin helping X, Twin needs help sometimes too. One day, a little while later, Twin came home from school in the afternoon with a black eye, because someone at his school beat him up. X is overprotective, (just like her mom) and when she finds out from her mom, she gets mad at him for not telling her and trying to hide it. In the poem Tight, Xiomara reflects, “I’m so heated with Twin not telling me someone at school was bothering him that I stop speaking” (160). Twin had often relied on X for protecting him, but they go to different schools now. X later said she would beat up the guy who did it, but Twin did not tell her who hurt him. This shows that they support each other, because they care about what happens to each other outside of home, and are willing to stick up for each other and work together. Those two quotes show how Xiomara’s relationship with her twin is important, because he shows kindness towards X and provides support.
