We stroll down pavements glistening
in glorious streetlights
Unenchanted.
Silent phones pressed to ears
Lips mumbling incoherently
Laughing to conceal
Thumping of blood
against the dermis of our throats
Was that-?
Nevermind
his footsteps. don't you mind
It was only your mind
(Wasn’t it?)
The light drizzle continues we're
still disillusioned by this
ethereal granite beneath
hurried feet
Perhaps it would be better for
rain to
Prickle my skin
Oust the demons from a mind
Unrelenting, unwilling to forget to
Remember: Her world is a dangerous place.
Cleanse me,
skin to bone.
Flush away synapses
unwanted.
Author’s note: What does it mean to be a woman? When and how do we become women in a world that constantly lowers us to ‘girls’ but parades us as grown when it’s to its benefit? This piece sheds some light on the not-so-pretty realities women have to face, and the continual struggle to overcome. I hope it informs the less-informed and gives comfort if only through the reminder that you are not alone, and your voice is heard.