I’m a Warrior Woman. A fighter. A survivor. Always have been. Those around me often marvel at my bravery. They commend me on my fearlessness, on being bold, on taking risks. Why then, do I falter in front of my treasured one? Why am I not able to speak of my longing for him? Why are the words trapped in my rib cage, knocking about like angry wild birds? Where has my courage gone? Where is my fierceness? Where is my audacity? Goddess, he may be more perceptive than most. He is not a mind reader. I implore you. Give me back my voice. Grant me the power to tell him: This is not just flirtatious glances or playful flutterings of my eyelashes. This is not just admiration. This is not just a crush. This is adoration. This is longing. This could be the beginning of us. Goddess, this is torment. This is your Warrior’s lament. Have I become a coward? Or have I been fierce for so long, I don’t know how to take off my armor? Have I lost my strength? Or am I simply bewildered, By my own desire to lay down my shield for him? Goddess, if I don’t have to be ferocious in his presence; Grant me the ability to be soft, tender, and maybe, just a little bit cheeky. But first, I beseech you. Open the cage. Let the words out. For I need him to know of the depths of my affection.
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Beautiful, Paloma. I love the ending: Open the cage / Let the words out. It made me think back to one of my favorite poems - I think because of the imagery of bodies, birds & cages. Check it out here: https://poets.org/poem/forgetting-something