My Body is… (on abuse)
My body is a temple
My body is a temple come on
scuff up dust,
pound on my Music Gate I said
My body is a temple
fire innuendos at my columns,
toss overtones over the Water Gate I said
My body is a temple
strut up the Twelve Steps,
crackle gold lacquer,
spill oils and wines that aren’t needed here,
crawl through my Wood Chamber until splinters prick
My body is a temple
defecate on the Eastern Wall,
smear it on the Beautiful Gate
while I crouch here in the Women’s Hall
Rampage through the courts,
The Porch, Brazen Altar, Sanctuary
into my most Holy Place because
My body is a temple
and I feed it,
preen, clean it
fight to succeed at being me in it
and I’m a temple to use
any way you please –
ain’t that what temples are for?
and, running into
My little… (on female stereotypes)
My little body pony body ogre body wrestling body face and
body hair body liquid body naked body safe body
my little job-free body/key-tapping body
tipping trapping fingers body
the body hard-fought/the body hard-thought
your body/my body
Your locked-up unbarred body
my spacious chock-full body
some unknown knowing bodies
brimming bodies brimming bodies brimming bodies brimming bodies
My little-big big-little big solid she body
my Medusa – sylph and Siren – backlash, cartoon woman’s body
seam-threaded legs arms hooks and knotted spider body:
that takes yours
turns it
kisses it
and eats it
like night eating a moon