as I sweep the floors of this house
this body
you sweep things under the rugs
leaving the pages of our stories to fade into dust
turning our skins into doormats
you let all the houseplants wilt
depriving this house of the extra oxygen that it needs
you've cleaned out the bookshelves and the pantry
covered all of the furniture
because you didn't want me to know how to know
how to cook
how to live and not just survive
you did not want me to have heirlooms
you emptied this house
so it wouldn't feel like a home
my home
so it wouldn't feel inviting anymore
cleansing this house to the point where it seems
that it was always vacant
~
Hannah Flores is an award-winning 17-year-old spoken word poet from Toronto, Canada. She is an active member of her community and beyond in her advocacy for youth voice, education, and equity.