Adam Sobel Week 3 - Poetry Blog: "alleyway" By: Aziza Barnes
The poem "alleyway" by Aziza Barnes was a bit more of an uncomfortable poem compared to the last one I had read by her. This poem talks about intercourse and other mature relations one could have with another or by themselves. While this may seem funny to laugh about, these topics are important to discuss and we should not be ashamed to write or talk about them, which is what I think Barnes is trying to do through this poem.
Barnes is very blunt throughout this poem by describing her intentions while with someone else romantically or by herself. She says graphic things throughout the poem in order to make us uncomfortable while reading this poem. I felt awkward reading it because I knew that this subject is difficult to broach with most people, especially young people, but I believe it is important to talk about.
Denying that people enjoy these types of activities or trying to refuse to speak about these uncomfortable topics can lead to serious consequences. Without proper sex education or a discussion of how people should be treated in a relationship, many people don't fully understand how their bodies or the bodies of opposite sexes work. Additionally, being ashamed to talk about forms of protection can lead to the transmission of diseases or unplanned pregnancies. Having open conversations about these topics can be more beneficial than people think, and having a stigma around sex related conversations can lead to consequences that could have easily been prevented if we were able to simply start a conversation without being embarrassed.
I feel like Barnes's point with this poem is to make people uncomfortable, but then realize that it's okay to be uncomfortable as long as we still understand the importance of these types of discussions. Simply talking through these scenarios with younger generations can educate them to be safer and smarter and create a safer and smarter future for everyone.
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