{"id":457,"date":"2021-08-26T11:16:17","date_gmt":"2021-08-26T18:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artsci.laverne.edu\/prism\/?p=457"},"modified":"2021-08-26T11:17:41","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T18:17:41","slug":"affidavit-by-mysti-easterwood-issue-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artsci.laverne.edu\/prism\/2021\/08\/26\/affidavit-by-mysti-easterwood-issue-17\/","title":{"rendered":"“Affidavit,” by Mysti Easterwood, issue #17"},"content":{"rendered":"

8\/26\/21: Into the Archives<\/em>: staff member Liliana Hernandez on Mysti Easterwood\u2019s \u201cAffidavit,\u201d issue #17<\/p>\n

One of the most powerful things about poetry is the vivid imagery that each carefully chosen word can create. The poet Mysti Easterwood created a radiance with their piece \u201cAffidavit\u201d that almost illuminates the page. But this poem does more than \u201cphysically\u201d enlighten; it is also \u00a0able to emotionally and intellectually enlighten the reader through its prominent message.<\/p>\n

Mysti Easterwood\u2019s poem begins by illustrating a picture of a flame slowly growing in a woman, but over time she began to forget it until that flame slowly began to dwindle inside her. The woman in the poem almost resents her flame for the fire and destruction it causes, so she tries her best to extinguish the flame within, which only results in hazy vision and smoldering flames.<\/p>\n

An example of Easterwood\u2019s vivid description of fire can be found in this section of the poem:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You\u2019d never know it now<\/em><\/p>\n

from the reddish glow in her chest \u2013 a bed <\/em><\/p>\n

of embers, their clear, dry heat<\/em><\/p>\n

making the air around her wrinkle and warp.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The woman was trying to extinguish her flame for the sake of what others may think, but by doing so she only hurt herself. This alludes to the deeper meaning behind this poem, which is a message of the true harm of internalized sexism. The woman hates herself for what makes her burn bright and tries her best to snuff out the flame, but in return is applauded for doing so despite the hidden pain it causes her. This aspect is best depicted through this excerpt from the poem:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For this reason she has no enemies <\/em><\/p>\n

hidden in the folds of her mind.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

It is also for this reason<\/em><\/p>\n

she is the articulate darling of five inmost men<\/em><\/p>\n

who are burning off her speech at an unprecedented rate<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0to lay bare the Sound wandering through her.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As stated in the quotation above she \u201chas no enemies hidden in the folds of her mind.\u201d This can be interpreted as her thinking that by acting or speaking the way that society expects <\/em>her to act, she can gain acceptance, praise, and \u201cno enemies.\u201d This can be clearly seen in the text through the way that she is described by males in the poem as \u201cthe articulate darling of five inmost men.\u201d Though this poem is fiction it is sadly some women\u2019s reality. Stifling their flame for the sake of what insecure, imposing egos and misogynistic, differing opinions may say.<\/p>\n

Mysti Easterwood\u2019s poem is a sad, vivid depiction of the collective yet silent pain that many women endure. The piece also carries an empowering and unapologetic tone through its beautifully enigmatic imagery of the power that a woman\u2019s flame can embody, which is encouraging in some ways. So if you are able, I highly suggest that you pick up a copy<\/p>\n

of Prism<\/em> 17 and dive into the vibrantly bold essence that Mysti Easterwood is able to capture in her poem \u201cAffidavit.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

8\/26\/21: Into the Archives: staff member Liliana Hernandez on Mysti Easterwood\u2019s \u201cAffidavit,\u201d issue #17 One of the most powerful things about poetry is the vivid imagery that each carefully chosen word can create. The poet Mysti Easterwood created a radiance with their piece \u201cAffidavit\u201d that almost illuminates the page. But this poem does more than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[466],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-into-the-archives"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n"Affidavit," by Mysti Easterwood, issue #17 | University of La Verne<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/artsci.laverne.edu\/prism\/2021\/08\/26\/affidavit-by-mysti-easterwood-issue-17\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\""Affidavit," by Mysti Easterwood, issue #17\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"8\/26\/21: Into the Archives: staff member Liliana Hernandez on Mysti Easterwood\u2019s \u201cAffidavit,\u201d issue #17 One of the most powerful things about poetry is the vivid imagery that each carefully chosen word can create. 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