I get tan lines between my thighs where they kiss
there is no space between my knees
these thighs made of thunder or the trunks of trees
I get tan lines where my belly rolls like hills and rivers
just like I did when I was little except now
it’s no longer considered darling
more used as a warning
this is what happens when a woman lets herself go
never thinking that maybe
this body holds the spells of creation and
the prayers of lost children
lost fathers
daughters
mothers
and sons
all this body wants
is to know peace
not be a reckoning and I
get tan lines between my thighs where they kiss
there is no space between my knees
