09 Mar The Essence of My Womanhood
A poem in celebration of International Women’s Day ~ published in Middle-Pause
I began as a genderless soul -
a point of light that yearned,
from its moment of creation,
to return to its Creator.
I was given a fertilized egg to care for,
to protect and cheer for,
to accompany
for an unknown stretch of earth-time.
I was adorned with the attributes of God,
instructed to nurture them,
use them to guide my companion-body
through its life of darkness and light.
I watched as my body grew a uterus,
as female hormones flooded its unformed brain
and bubbled through its tiny network of
electrical circuits and fluid-filled tubes.
I didn’t yet know what this would mean.
I saw my companion thrust squalling from her soft warm womb-home
into the hard cold glare of the world she would travel.
Afraid.
Confused.
I hovered above her head,
squeezed into her belly,
hummed a sweet melody into her ear.
“I’m here,” I sang. “We’ll be fine.”
“It’s a girl,” said the doctor.
“It’s a girl,” sighed the mother. “Thank you God.”
Photo by 愚木混株 cdd20 on Unsplash
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