Girl grows up in a house fire,
Bears survival in octaves of fear between her laughter
In gaps of emptiness between her clenched teeth
Who was girl then who did not know grief
Who was girl then when grief did not form the knuckles in her fists,
Was not bone to her being,
Girl grows up in a house fire,
Father tells girl— girl is a bird,
girl be pretty, be the first blossom blooming after winter's cold.
girl be soft, be the leaf that falls after the wind pushes it over, does not stand back up.
girl be quiet, silence your song, the holden Caulfield in your speech, with your teeth, bite tongue and wipe tears before the blood dries,
Girl is shipment, her satin skin wrapped into a delivery for gain
Father seals stamp that gives her away.
So girl spill her cries poetically
And Man dig nails into the crimson of girl's throat,
Turns girl’s eyes into swollen gardens of violet,
Barks at girl as if girl is animal.
Man butcher ridges of petals of girl's blossom,
Spread girl open into a paper angel.
Man give girl death without a casket
Girl prays to become an ocean, big enough to consume her body.
girl body, crumbles like a palace of cards,
Man calls girl whore.
Man calls girl wife.
Girl runs, girl tries to fly away.
Girl has no wings.
Father calls girl shame, heretic of the family's name.
Bang—
A rose garden blooms in the center of girl shirt.
Father drown girl body in gasoline and kerosene
Girl's body becomes fire.
Becomes the ashes of those who have burned in injustice
Becomes a Joan of arc without a name,
Girl has and always is burning.
Man has and always is calling girl weak.
Girl is not weak.
Girl be given names when girl holds up half of the sky.
Meaning girl holds up the world so that it does not crumble,
Girl will not crumble.
Girl is the creation of Eve next to Adam before God could say "I am finally satisfied with life."
Girl is divine.
Girl is burning,
but Moses saw God in fire.
Exocus 3: "There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire"
Girl is fire. Girl is every bit of God.
but Moses saw God in fire.
Exocus 3: "There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire"
Girl is fire. Girl is every bit of God.
Girl is ash pouring itself back into a broken body everyday, girl is strength.
She is laughing because she is walking out of the funeral man gives her when man wants to show girl death.
Girl is laughter. Girl is loud. Girl is song that cannot be silenced. Girl is sung.
Girl brings life into world. Gives springtime color vibrant and alive after the darkness of winter.
Which is to say girl is revival.
Which is to say Girl is resurrection.
Which is to say girl is ripples of ocean water bathing mankind, cleansing the sin and grief man inflicts on girl,
giving life to a kingdom of equality where girl is worshipped.
Girl be worshipped.
