~Owen Spring, Class of 2024

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.