For Valerie Bridgeman and Laura Colbert

For Valerie Bridgeman and Laura Colbert Yours is the voice that soothes Wraps its wisdom around my thumping heart When I have no words to say Your listen is the quiet That holds me up When I could walk into the ocean And never return to shore You human me When I am afraid of my reflection in the river Who is that woman With what used to be my face I remember those hands Those knees that used to Bend and reach so free You blood me You flesh me You give me my remember When I want to run away You bring me my toes My legs Those are my thighs My breasts and chin You body me back again You wing me You wind me You song my skin together I am breath because of you I am blink and tongue See these arms and veins You pray and poem them Now I am lungs and bones Because you believed