grief trail

The time has come to grieve

lay down my armaments like yellow leaves of

Autumn and loose detritus after the snow

I turn the compost pile, lay down new paper

and soil. I’ll build up the sides with rocks

from the yard, plant marigolds and chamomile

This body seems gentler than before

softened at the edges, but still strong

like the earth emerging, bare and shorn

I’ve cut my hair close, exposed my face

finally, after all these years, letting go

of the curtain around my womanhood

breathing deeply, a kindness long due

this body has come together again and again

fifty years of skin and blood and bone

walking on the path, heels down

toes spreading flat on the ground

with each step breathing in the sun

it’s a beginning

©2023 Clelia Vahni Lewis