My Soft Body

tracing every inch of the curves

on this, my soft body–

its sharp edges,

worn and rounded now

from decades of wandering through this landscape,

navigating across wild rivers

and over mountainous peaks,

through twilight and tears.

the greys at my temples are unceasing now,

and lines gather at the corners of my eyes when i smile.

where once taut, tanned skin

was marked only with crisscrossing bikini lines,

stretch marks now show,

reminders of life passing in and through me,

borned and birthed and rebirthed.

over and over again i become myself,

one step closer

to home.

~ j. avellana hongo