"the women never felt the wind on their arms"

a poem.

My grandma’s never worn a tank top

She thinks spaghetti’s only a type of noodle

I covered up my shoulders before I went up to the river today

Because it was shameful

But oh, it was such a shame

The women never felt the wind on their arms

The sweet misty breeze never caressed their palms

It was always- proper, bound, closed, tight

Suck in your breath, let the underwire be the only acceptable embrace

The women never felt the wind on their arms

And it makes me sad

Because as I sat by the river today

My scarf long abandoned

I was one with the elements.

The water called out to me

She said

‘I am made of you and you, me’

The earth embraced me as put my palms on it

She said

‘You were born from me and you will die in me’

The sky whispered

‘I stretch way beyond you can see’

And the wind

She kissed my fingertips, then my knuckles, my wrist, my forearm, my shoulder, my neck

And she said

‘the women never felt the wind on their arms,

They missed out on a lot, as you can see.

We are the same, you and me.

We mould, we twist, we are bound yet we are free

We caress, we kiss

We can uproot, we can destroy.

They feared us, you see.

They wanted to choke us, bind us, close and sleeve.

But we always find a way back to each other, you and me.’