UNSETTLED
panning for gold
raw cold shakes
my small hands
and hope in a heart
that doesn’t know
yet
how precious is treasure
how what it means
isn’t what it is
or that
i’d pan through the rough
slowed down
to a syllable a minute
stomach growl
false truths fall away
that i’d scratch
at the blueprint
of girl and woman
resist the template
negotiate positions
succumb to the lessons
i was force fed
lick their fingers
and fuck them just to know
i chose
the small heart hardened
holds grief
though in the company of love
it still breathes
when queer avenues open
it bleeds
it beats
what i’m forging
foraging
for
is a home in the body
a home in the body real estate
somewhere to go and know
i’m sacred and safe
panning for gold
wet grate shakes
shining little bits show
and simple pleasure
is.
– Molly Maher
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I’m Molly. I’m a bi, queer human & still learning about who I am and what I like every day. I find poetry a fun way to mess with language, the same language that can trap and limit me. It’s interesting to see things from new perspectives or discover bits of myself, just by playing with words!
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