Writing the Grief, June 1, 7:48 PM

I started to lose it the longer I spend at my parents’ house. I was in the backyard and the sight of my mother’s laundry line almost drove me nuts. I started to freak out and lose it. I ran inside and needed to be alone, and went into my sister’s old bedroom. It was like that moment in a horror movie when the victim runs from the monster and slams the door shut and thinks he’s safe. But it turns out he’s in a room FULL of monsters. And then it’s just all over.

My sister’s old bedroom is full of my mother’s things. A workout bike she never used. Tons of her old clothes. Old meds and medical devices. I ended up weeping with my mother’s plastic and metal leg brace in my hands. It felt like all I had left. In a way it was. This is going to be a long, hard road.

About justinwoo

Justin Woo is a Rutgers graduate, Jersey City resident, and Chinese-American poet, theatre artist, videographer, photographer and DJ. He has performed at universities and theatres in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire including the 2007 NYC Fringe Festival and the Tony Award-winning Crossroads Theatre. He was a member of the 2011 and 2012 JC Slam team, and is a JC Slam committee member and tech director. He has collaboratively created several multidisciplinary spoken word theatre pieces. He is currently writing "The Girl Behind The Glass," a science fiction play exploring androids, sex, freedom, consent, and personhood. His goal is to encourage positive social and political change through the creation and performance of startling, extraordinary poetry and theatre. View all posts by justinwoo

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