AMANDA RODRIGUEZ
Paired With: Theodora Eugenia Cohen
Grit
Theodora Eugenia Cohen, known as Theo, was someone full of grit. She was passionate about theatre, singing, and acting. She was as solid as a diamond with a golden throat, and nothing in this world could keep her from her calling in theatre. Her parents, Daniel and Susan Cohen, described her as, “loving and mean, logical and hysterical, cynical and enthusiastic.” She was a paradox, both simple and complex. Theo and I have never crossed paths, but we exist parallel to each other. Her passion for theatre mirrors my appetite for poetry, philosophy, and figuring out the mysteries of our existence. My poem, “Grit,” pays homage to Theo and our shared strive for our callings. “Grit” is all about the frustration of needing to know the answers to every why, what, and how. Our world and lives are so vast, and sometimes asking questions will only leave us with a multitude of unanswered possibilities. Beyond all of the questions that life leaves Theo and me with, there is one definitive answer for each of us. For me, it is poetry. For her, it is theatre.