Blanding
She’d let her piercings heal over.
Intentionally blanding her surface.
Not noticeable for job interviews.
No puncture judgements.
Nothing left. Only tiny dents.
Inverse Braille for only her reading.
Life events not detailed on a CV.
Such intimate fingers.
Her younger autobiography.
Words diverted from ears,
nose, brows and lip.
This is who I was.
Touch might tell you.
But she won’t.
A story written on her body. Wonderful image.
I guess we all have in one way or another – scars, birth marks, etc – it’s how much we choose to reveal (within reason!)…
Oh, and what a touch can tell you that her lips won’t. We do carry our stories on our skin.
We certainly do…
This is really good writing.
Thanks Deana!
Do cut marks count?
Hi Sanah. First thing I would say is that I would *never* encourage anyone to self harm. However, I know that people do and if that leaves scars then that is the way it is – and that’s not for me or anyone else to judge. I guess this poem is about choosing how much an individual wishes to disclose of themselves. Hope that makes sense.
What jumped out at me were your words, “No puncture judgements.” The more I muse over this, I find in it the germ of so much of what we think and do, so much of how we could bring in more awareness into our lives.
Loved the verse.
Shakti
Hi Shakti – thanks for reading and your comments. Glad this spoke to you.
I had to smile reading this, my eldest son at the age of 25yrs covered in piercing with long ginger dreadlocks still at university appeared in my kitchen one day out of the blue and unannounced!
Nothing too stunning there eh? But all his glorious dreadlocks were gone replaced by a short spiky cut. All piercing removed and to top it all he was suited and booted. “job interviews mum”. 15yrs on he smiles at the grungy days. Great poem. Xxxx. How did the Open. Mike night go? xxxx
Oh, it was ok I think – I think I learn something new every time. Nice story about your son’s hair – it must have been pretty impressive!
well done Holly keep doing them…do one for me I wish I had the nerve! As to my son… I look at him for a full 40 odd seconds before I recognised him!!
love this piece Hollyanne!! I like the “inverse braille”….that’s terrific wording!!
Hey Maggie Mae! Glad you liked.