*Trigger Warning: self harm.
Friendship,
It says.
It means more to me
Than that.
As the needle
Tore through my skin
I was reminded
Of how far removed I am
From the razor blades
That once did the same.
My body is the map of my life.
The scars are a part of me,
An outward symbol
Of an inner pain.
The stretch marks
Are the proof
Of my healing,
My bodily acceptance,
The embrace
Of womanly curves
Over wantonness
And starvation.
The stains
On my fingers
Are from my mind-
My words leaving marks
On the page
And my hands.
My hair
Is an ode to my mother,
The long waves
Reminiscent of hers.
The ink in my skin
Is a badge
Of a new phase
And an old love.
And my body
Is my art,
And my canvas,
And my brush.
[the arrows are the Native American symbol for friendship,
a tribute to our Cherokee roots.]
