Words on Womanhood
I love these legs.
They keep me standing
in the fiercest winds.
I love this skin
all brown and brave,
the color of delicious sin.
I love these breasts
that feed my babes
as they drink down life.
I love these eyes
though wet with tears
overflowing divine light.
I love the power
of this heart, the
secrets in my cells.
I love this body
like no one could,
save the Creator Herself.
Dear Grief,
Please don’t take me
to the dungeons beneath your throne.
Don’t make me call your darkness
my new home.
I
love the warmth of sunlight,
scents of blossoming spring air.
I beg you let me find my
way back there.
Don’t
make me your prisoner.
In your caves I cannot breathe.
My soul was meant to soar, please
set me free.
Or
chain me by my ankle
and I’ll rest within the trees.
Let me think I’m free, even if it’s
make-believe.
Reese Leyva 