Meek Women
TW: Former drug use mentioned.
I write a lot of poetry about when I'm in a vulnerable, low-low place. But I thought I'd share a poem that is a blend of my current state and the self of who I aspire to be. I have seen elements of growth and health that I’m really proud of. I’m also making tangible, incremental, steps towards who I want to be.
I wrote this poem in the plural since you may find yourself in these words. Maybe you share gratitude for the growth you have from past vices and unhealthy coping skills, or are also externally process through writing. Or perhaps we have some of the same commonalities of who we are today (a hot tub bb who enjoys oversized hoodies) or share the same aspirations of who we want to be (learning how to be meek + have a killer skincare routine lol).
Take a moment and think of how far you’ve come and what tangible, tiny, steps you can take to get to where you want to be.
Meek Women
Shoulders wet with hot
tub water; the sun shines
on our shoulders while the
breeze bites.
Even after stepping away
body’s still warmed; blank
pages now lay in eyeshot.
This same eagerness used to
be expressed at the sight of
bright white and parallel lines,
assembled closer together–
than a college ruled notebook,
but
we’ve been able to heal and
process past trauma rather than
numb and distract. Now the grain
we crave is when our palm drags
across cream paper with a pen
in hand.
With this in remembrance, we
write about our grace-filled,
abundant life.
Plant stems shoot slim feathered
roots into vials of water on the
windowsill; their growth is slow
until late-spring, but we’re patient.
Midday naps under a crumpled
comforter. We’re still learning how
rest requires self-discipline.
Our hearts are heavy for the souls
who feel unseen; it is our mission to
show them their worth.
We remember back to when we
felt unseen, too. Unheard. Alone.
So we hold space for them and
encourage them to extend self-
compassion.
We are the women who write
our worries in ink and never
read them again.
We wear oversized, zip up hoodies
and have good skincare routines.
We try to spend more time buried in
a book and less time finding validation
in a blue light.
We move. We breathe full bellied
breaths. We propagate our plants
and poetry. We exhale past our capacity
and pause for this next, new life breath.
Our life’s goal is to be meek
(humble and unwavering regardless
of circumstance) women.