WE ARE STRONG
Poem by Melissa Black
Illustration by Scott Mason
unlike concrete, separate from steel-we are strong but not unyielding;
adaptable, but not spineless;
bodies like water, hearts of earth-we nurture ourselves
when we let love grow, the homes of our souls bolstered and fortified,
bolstering and fortifying.
we are strong.
we need no body beside ours, nothing to hide behind
because we are beautiful, because we are strong.
it is not wrong to cry,
to show sadness or smiles or to ask for a hand.
it is not wrong to take a day off from responsibilities,
eat ice cream, wear mismatching pajamas,
and watch reruns;
it is important to nourish the only thing you have-yourself.
and that is enough.
because we are strong.