The Broom

After Jose Hernandez Diaz

After my first psychotic episode, I turned into a common house broom. My long, sturdy handle
was made of previously loved wood, and sleeked into a bunch of fastened blonde crunchy yet
pliable corn husks. I swept the floors of all my neighbors, gathering up their stories, memories,
worries, and hopes, then reduced them into neat piles, and moved on to the next one. I never
discarded the piles of now-dirt; I wasn’t a dust pan after all. Dust pans are made from people
who have never learned to forgive. Mops, on the other hand, are made from chronic people-
pleasers. Everyone who experiences psychosis becomes a common house broom. We handle
what you wouldn’t dare to touch.

Author of the article

Tiezst “Tie” Taylor is a Disabled Black femme who is non-binary trans. They are a radical educator, artist-activist, poet, and storyteller. Their work explores their experiences in surviving: Disability and severe mental illness; intergenerational trauma and poverty; and intersecting forms of oppression in the U.S. They use their art and research to educate, heal, nurture, radicalize, and catalyze change for all marginalized peoples. Follow Tiezst on Instagram @tiezst