Today I lit a match and set myself on fire
I watched as my imperfections were singed
I don’t remember the heat of the flames
I remember the smell of my own vulnerabilities
Set ablaze by the societal demands on a young woman

A life begins in striving
Ends in catching that final breath
As fire engulfs me
Stealing the oxygen from my lungs
As I drown without water
The gates open
Wounds I thought closed
Ripped open and debrided with the fire burning me alive

Today I found myself underwater while on land
Drowning on my own thoughts
As I choke back the words willing their way out
I swallow hard trying to force the words down
Instead all of the words I have been dying to say fall out

Today I lit a match and set my words on fire
Nurturing the fire in my soul
Healing the torn apart wounds