By Ruby Edgeley
If she could see herself through my eyes she would see, A woman filled with silenced intelligence, And water thoughts that carry the world’s oceans in their depths. Thoughts that could change her world and yours, Thoughts that paint others in gold so generously that she forgets to leave some for herself, And instead settles for bronze.
If she could see herself through my eyes she would see, She is a bibliography, Written with feats of bravery and strength that could bend pounds of gold with ease. Easily kind and overlooked by her own pen, She combs her self-proclaimed bronzed hair away from her face, Avoiding the mirror because the image she sees is through the eyes of male domination and mass manipulation, Forgetting that the damage is the mirror- Not her reflection.
If she could see herself through my eyes she would know, That water erodes when it is not contained, And containing is hard when barrier’s are weakened by time and change. She would understand that the water overflowed; So much so That the liquid from her thoughts leaked into her gaze, Reflecting an image that is dull and vague, Making her believe that she does not shine like the other elements, When she is all of them combined.
If she could see herself through my eyes she would know, That she repainted me, Adorning my skin with gold when I thought myself bronze. Peeling back the layers of hand-me-down guilt and unearned shame, To replace them with sunlight. She would see that she is light, She is the light of all lights, And one day she will look upon herself as I, As those that love her see her, And she will know, That She is more than metal.
Artwork courtesy of Jayna Nelson
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