Frayed at the edges
My heart is frayed at the edges like a pair of denims, stone-washed repeatedly
But it was once made pure and untouched
Like a new diamond polished
Like a baby's tender feet never having touched the earth
Like an infant plant in its first stages of growth
Fueled with the strength of my life givers
Nurtured in my mother's womb
Protected by a steel cage
And yet, how weathered you are now, dear heart
I cannot tell if it has made you stronger
or if it has damaged you beyond repair
All I know is this...
You continue to beat for me
You continue to hope and excite and pump precious ruby blood, so I can live this life
No amount of superficial bruising deters you
You're forged of the iron running through my veins
Mother heart, my soul loves you
My brain needs you, my fingers wish they could touch you so you'd know
And while you keep my organs alive, I fight to stay alive for you
I take you out on battles and you wear your armor without complaining
Not a moment of hesitation
You dive into icy oceans and jump into blazing fires with me
You sing to me when I'm happy and nurse my wounds when I fail
A heart that's never wrinkled or seasick
Others have tried to take you from me, and you persistently held on
You're my roots in a storm and how you hold me!
I'll wear you on my sleeve, and on my tongue and carry you in my bones
I will love you and how can I be wrong when you were my teacher
For the first time perhaps, a love returned in full
I love a heart so pure, so scarred, so brave
I love a heart that's only mine
- Velvetta - ‘Mother Heart’
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I wrote this inspired by my favourite warrior women writers, 5000letters, madgirlf, latenightcornerstore, warsanshires, alonesomes, clementinevonradics and yrsadaleyward, among many others.
I have young women who write to me daily saying they'd like to someday write like me. And while I am overwhelmed and kind of speechless sometimes, I encourage them deeply. I want them to know that everything written about, in word, comes from a personal and intimate experience. Everything I write about comes from inside me, and nothing can compare to that rawness. So live your lives in full and draw from it. A deep passion for life and all living things is your gift to keep. Hone it, my loves.