My redhead skin smells the thunder
and says thank you; tastes rain in the wind
and smiles – opens its stretch marks like smiles
not hand-me-downs from sad days,
lets the water trickle like glitter or confetti –
my redhead skin feels loved.
Despite my burnished shoulders,
lobster red rather than gold, I know this
Earth loves me.
I know Hyperion greets me
as he ravishes the sky, horse and chariot aligned.
My redhead skin is the vulnerable armour
I breathe and love in. Sunflower arms
and daisy feet. I am soft. I am strong.
My redhead skin smells the thunder
and says thank you.
Thank you for letting me begin.
Poem: © Kristiana Reed 2020
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