you, with the outspoken voice

realized early on

that speaking your truth seems to always come with shaking hands

but clenching teeth never brings chills

to the spines of men who are out of line

there is nothing more holy than the way that you carry yourself

comfortable and unapologetic

yet magnetizing heads to follow

the sway of your hips

the bounce of your breast

shoulders pushed back

heart forward and daring the world to meet it

like you are the first woman they’ve ever held

but you are not the first woman that this world has ever held.

we have tried to create sanctuaries out of the palms of men

who have never been shown how to carry the truth in their own hearts

so they see you

woman.

your reverence in how your heart speaks through you

convincing yourself to create the world that can hold your heart’s highest prophecy

take refuge in the embodied empowerment that has always been activated within you

by simply being inside of your body and feeling your truth

what you truly believe will never come from any other source

always rising from within

you will realize that you would rather sit barefoot in a hammock

swaying back and forth

a soothing meditation of movement cradling your body

than be with people who need nine drinks

to feel the swaying back and forth,

their numbing movement cradling their bodies

you will soon come to know how the breeze can move you

in the same way that beauty brings you to your knees in delight

your soul always aching for the car windows to be rolled down

multiple limbs and hair flying

eyes watering

soaring above, the birds will call you ‘wind woman’,

air-conditioning is a tomb to our wind woman ways

you are literally fire

devoted to burning away all of the shame that this world burdens you with

existing beyond the shackles of metaphors that they want to place on you

that sometimes you want to place on you

so listen to me, my love

being in your body will set you free