I saw our bodies as one, two in one,
One’s trauma belonging to the other,
One’s fate stitched to the other’s flesh,
Inside out, the repetition taught, the
Circus artistry within a family, the tricks
Of reality, the enhancement of misery, the
Hardening seal, blood-red, infuriating.
I revolted. You did too. When you were young
And daring. You travelled. The shadows caught
You, they claimed your body back, the vessel to
Refill with their muscle memory, their bilious narratives,
The acts of sabotage, denigration, infamy, ejected and
Injected, against your will, celebrating your assumed
Powerlessness. You were a rebel but they brought you
On your knees. You were the most moving dreamer I
Ever met. That’s when we danced in unison.
We bled. We were never meant to be antagonists.
Swimming against the stream. We stretched out
Our arms to each other, gained space and found
Our way back to one another, in a healthy way, in
A leap forward, through it, all, hand in hand, heroines,
Energised with life to shed old skins, burned, desecrated
Stamps and labels that others tried to brand us with.
They never thought that we would make it.
Shatter the mould of our forefathers and mothers.
The toxic pest weeds that continued to grow through
Us, on our bodies, around our tongues, down our throats,
Until the air is no more. We said our goodbyes and took
Our learned lessons and planted our own seeds. We grew
In different directions, as freely and unravelled as we desired.
Croque-Melpomene 