Meeting poet Laurie Guerrero was extremely inspirational for me. Not only is her work exceptional, but her attitude was amazing. Being a Hispanic woman also made me appreciate her work and attitude a lot more. Her message that power can also come from vulnerability is something we’re not often taught and it definitely made me think further about the topic. Her unapologetic character was also something I really looked up to. She was unapologetic about her vulnerability, her past and her thoughts; I think we should all change to try to think this way. I liked how she was so open about her life, especially the negative aspects, and didn’t try to sugarcoat anything. The fact that she went to college while having to raise three kids at an age where most people would have just given up because they they would think it’s too hard and not worth it is something I really look up to.

One of the things she said that got me really emotional and I thought was so beautifully put was “I want to slip my hand in the photograph and fix your hair like I once did”, or something very close to that (I was way too immersed in her reading to take notes during it). It’s something that everyone can relate to, not just about someone who has passed away, but perhaps someone you’re no longer close to or someone who’s changed and you no longer feel like you know them. This was one of the favorite things she said and I honestly started tearing up a bit and had to quickly wipe my tears. You could also tell that during the reading of the book about her grandpa, she was emotional. It’s a given that she would emotional over the loss of someone who has raise her and that she spent 5 years taking care of, but I found it so strong of her to be able to relive all those feelings and thoughts and do it so  powerfully file exposing her vulnerability.

All in all, Guerrero has definitely become one of my favorite poets and I’m definitely going to try to write a crown of sonnets.