Poem

On that day I wore my favorite purple underwear

for the sole purpose of knowing I was wearing them.

And underneath that?

I was naked.

The only barrier was that thin cotton

And under

And under I’ve got skin.

Miles and miles of skin

I’ve got skin to cover all my secrets like plastic

that you can see through to what leftovers are inside from the time before.

And despite what you thought,

my skin is not rough, nor is it bullet proof.

My skin is soft smooth easily scarred.

But that didn’t matter

You didn’t care about how soft my skin was

You just use your hands and fingers

You just want to tear into me

with your fingers

And mouth and teeth

Prying me open

Relentless. Pushing. Violating.

Lifting my chin (please save me)

Why?

So I can see lightning through the clouds?

What if all I crave is to swing high as a bird for a taste of fresher air?

What if all I reach for is a notebook to write in, not a hand to hold?

But that’s not the story you want.

You are licking your lips and baring your teeth.

Gleam in your eyes. Possession.

Just once I would like to go in the direction everyone else is

I don’t want to be the water in the well.

I don’t want to be the well.

I’d like to not be the ground anymore

I’d like not to be the thing people dig their hands in

Something they can own