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Best Poems Written by Valerie Tran

Below are the all-time best Valerie Tran poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

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Details | Valerie Tran Poem

Atelophophia

I had a minor habit where I 
Chewed and chewed on my fingernails.
Continuously until red flower petals bloomed on my fingertips.

My nails irritated me every time I looked at them. 
I wanted so badly to get rid of the 
disgustingly sharp teeth at the edge of my fingernails.

Like an itch that won't go away, they constantly lingered in my mind. 
They stared at me, 
Begging and begging me to help them become more beautiful. 

The idea ate away at me until I finally took the courage to bite it back. 
And it made me happy to admire the 
pretty purples and romantic reds that painted my fingertips.

I fell deeper and deeper into the abyss.
I tried to crawl back up, find a way out, but I couldn’t.
My fingers no longer had any grip. 

I yearned for perfection, so I bit them more. 
I bit them until they got smoother and smoother,
And eventually until there was nothing left.

I am still satisfied even though my fingers constantly feel numb 
because now there is nothing stopping me.
Now I can’t feel them as they weep.

Copyright © Valerie Tran | Year Posted 2019



Details | Valerie Tran Poem

Bittersweet

The concept of you and I 
happily together
is a beautifully woven paradox.

Both a blessing and a curse.
Full of conflicting ideas and loud words
that always transition back to 
soft whispers and gentle fingertips. 

Nonsensical in its entirety,
but worth the effort nonetheless.

Strong auras of admiration for each other
that float above the clouds like jellyfish,
yet the feelings of frustration always linger 
deep down. 

Forever friends and enemies,
as long as the sun shines bright,
until our bodies can no longer 
press together any closer,
and until our hands 
disconnect from each other.

Copyright © Valerie Tran | Year Posted 2019


Book: Shattered Sighs