sometimes,
i dream long enough
to imagine another life
when you and i
were on fire
where i was your queen
where you filled my lungs with laughter

sometimes,
i dream long enough
that an imprint of your memory
is left on my retina
so all i can see is the king of comedy
who held my heart
in another life

She was a woman,
Inside a woman,
Inside a woman

The female definition of sisterhood
Emanating from her,
An aura of arduous existence
Of suffrage meeting resistance

She was bent over in lamentable labour
Bearing the weight of the world on her shoulders
Forgetting what men had tried to tell her
That she was an object to be sold and squandered

Through ever contentious contraction
She cried out in excruciating passion
But by the end of it all
She held in her hands
A creation of truth
That no man
Could truly understand

Ten years passed by in a moment
First Kiss.
The House We Bought.
Wedding Day Bliss.
I never dreamt that it would be like this

The days mould into one
I guess that's the science of love
All I see ahead of me is us

Ten years have passed by
I am still your wife
I will follow you into eternal life

my identity is printed
in the groove of your spine
your identity
is
entwined
with

mine.

he thought i was his *****
because that is what he called me

he thought i was his property
because he branded me with his bruises

if i am covered in seminal filth
is that all that i am?

if all i've known is abusive language
is that all i will ever understand?

he thought i was his *****
he thought my body was a market stall

that he could rob daily
no medals for bravery

but one day i changed the score
i ran out the broken screen door

into a world that does not label me
by who i was before

this healing heart
will win this gender war

I danced before you
In my naked youth
My hips moved in mysterious motion
The music played so ominous
Carrying out the back door

I made my way toward you
Until we were flesh on flesh
The curve of my thigh
Matched the shape of your palm
While that eerie song ended
I became yours

i observe my naked body in the mirror
scanning the war torn battle ground
that i once despised but have grown to love

my fingers trace the bumps and scars
there is familiarity in the exploration
i linger at the grooves in my wrist
it reminds me of a recording
that i have inked into my skin

i observe my naked body in the mirror
the woman in the reflection holds no fear
she has learnt to read the signs of beauty
the signs that are etched all over this Australian body

i observe my naked body in the mirror
this is the body of a warrior
thirty one years of growth
thirty one years of truth
i observe my naked body in the mirror
i appreciate the view