[Poem by Eddie Maisonet]
I woke up with guitar strings in my belly
Telling my body’s story
Vibrates through air expanding
For the first time in 3 weeks
I feel myself breathe
Warmth filters into here on to my skin
I dare to experience this moment as its own
A new chance to coax stiffness
From my ribcage
Last night I fell asleep with this chill in my body
It’s been my steadfast friend
Flesh hardened from danger around me
I was cold, rigid, breathless, stayed strong to support myself
My loves, my goals, support myself through the news
That every day fills me with the dread
That I’ve become muscle-bound
The act of keeping steady like this is living the motions of survival
Self-preservation movement restricted
Body has felt as free as I am
But fuck it
Today I woke up and realized I don’t just want to survive
Cold, inflexible things break so easily
I don’t wanna break
I choose to
I choose to
I choose to breathe today
Dare to experience this moment as its own
Bravery to breathe after bracing for impact
In a new day I can open myself to body’s intuitive knowledge
I went to sleep with that chill in me
I woke up with sunlit nylon strings resonating in my belly
But the groove carried my healing through sun rays
I wanna be my best self today