“Je ne sais quoi” was fun, but not enough
There were still some strands to shimmy off
To unearth the person without the trappings
To mess with the gaze so it knew not to mess with.
She emerged, that girl, she was always there
Though bumped and bruised, her eyes were still clear
She stared back at me, like she’d been patiently waiting
Her defiant gaze, triumphantly blazing.
Those cheekbones! Damn! They glint like ice!
And self care works! Velvet skin! Dark as night!
Who knew your ears lovingly cradled you so?
Your full lips and nose, stanning rebellious and bold.
Darling, your crown curves a beautiful swoop
With delight, I caress the divine in a loop
The wonder-struck awe unfazed by the pack
Who couldn’t stand the view from the back.
Fierce she was, fierce I am, fierce I have to be
Took a while to adjust to my honest decree
A touch, once blunted, now prickly intense
An urgent reminder “don’t doubt your essence“.
I am her, she is me, on this long-ass journey
It took less, and not more for this level of “free”
‘I am’ from within and not from without
I was always enough. Now I know not to doubt.