Flinty Heels

To survive,

you must first

line your eyes

with seduction.

*

Hide your

shades of strength

in pants

instead of dresses.

*

Remember they lied.

[You] are not

the only one

with muscles.

*

When they say,

"Don't go out in that dress,"

do not yell.

*

Instead,

look down

at his shrunken stature

as you ruffle.

*

Teach him

that no mortal man

can reach

behind your neck

feigning control.

*

Expose the words

he stole.

Gird yourself

to farm your own land.

*

Shine your rubies

with truth

until they fill

the hearts

of your sisters.

*

Build a crystal cistern

where the water

is clear

and warm.

*

Wait for your

own face

to be mirrored back.

*

Refuse to die

on the streets

just to feed

your heart.

*

When he comes,

ensure he cannot say

you have taken

what you do not own.

*

Let him be smitten

by the compliance

he mistook

for victory.

*

Let him feel

exempted

from the truth of you

until the end.

*

Do not let

your tongue remain

a spindle hooked

behind your throat.

*

Find your calm

in words

of resonance.

*

Buckle your heels

and listen

for the flinty sound

of your departure.

*

Walk

toward yourself.

*

Watch him

from afar,

like feathers

to a hen.

A/N : While my previous exploration, "Beef of Comfort," was a feeble attempt at reaching too far when I wasn't ready, this poem is the necessary response. Today, in flinty heels, I have found the well and drawn water from it with the guidance of my very good friend, Harper Lewis. It is a set of imperative instructions on how to reclaim one's heart and walk toward the self with resonance. It is a survival guide for the muscles we were told we didn't have. If you got this far, thank you so much for reading. ❤️🤗🙏🏽