Tracy Barkis reads her poem on violence "I Set Myself Free"

Grants | NHPRC | Special Collections | Minnesota Books and Authors | Topics | Social Issues | Legacy Project Remote Work (2020-2021) | Poems, Poets, and Poetry | Types | Reading |
September 29, 1993
Tracy Barkis - Reader
Listen: Tracy Barkis reads her violence poem, I Set Myself Free
0:00

Poet Tracy Barkis reads her poem titled "I Set Myself Free," which addresses violence against her.

Transcripts

text | pdf |

TRACY BARKIS: Long stretches of time are lost to me, memories of my youth that I could not recall. It is only now that I have begun to see in my dreams what you did to me. I was a child, a lonely little girl. You turned on me and destroyed who I was, who I could have been.

I feared you. I hated you. Now I can see that you hated yourself. I can finally understand that it was not my fault. Now, I can begin again.

I try to forgive you, but I cannot. You destroyed me. But now I can destroy any memory I have of you.

I set myself free. Free to live. Free to love. Free to go on.

Send an inquiry regarding this content
Funders

Digitization made possible by the National Historical Publications & Records Commission.

This Story Appears in the Following Collections

Views and opinions expressed in the content do not represent the opinions of APMG. APMG is not responsible for objectionable content and language represented on the site. Please use the "Contact Us" button if you'd like to report a piece of content. Thank you.

Transcriptions provided are machine generated, and while APMG makes the best effort for accuracy, mistakes will happen. Please excuse these errors and use the "Contact Us" button if you'd like to report an error. Thank you.

< path d="M23.5-64c0 0.1 0 0.1 0 0.2 -0.1 0.1-0.1 0.1-0.2 0.1 -0.1 0.1-0.1 0.3-0.1 0.4 -0.2 0.1 0 0.2 0 0.3 0 0 0 0.1 0 0.2 0 0.1 0 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.4 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.2 0 0.4-0.1 0.5-0.1 0.2 0 0.4 0 0.6-0.1 0.2-0.1 0.1-0.3 0.3-0.5 0.1-0.1 0.3 0 0.4-0.1 0.2-0.1 0.3-0.3 0.4-0.5 0-0.1 0-0.1 0-0.2 0-0.1 0.1-0.2 0.1-0.3 0-0.1-0.1-0.1-0.1-0.2 0-0.1 0-0.2 0-0.3 0-0.2 0-0.4-0.1-0.5 -0.4-0.7-1.2-0.9-2-0.8 -0.2 0-0.3 0.1-0.4 0.2 -0.2 0.1-0.1 0.2-0.3 0.2 -0.1 0-0.2 0.1-0.2 0.2C23.5-64 23.5-64.1 23.5-64 23.5-64 23.5-64 23.5-64"/>