An ode a day for May 2014 - day 5 - To quirky brown women like me

To women who have swallowed their voices long enough
Who have cleared their throats of contradictions
To women who are awkward and quirky
Women like me on the unfunny end of the joke
Women like me who grow like orchid
Crooked and ready
Women who bend
Women who do not fit
Who do not fit in or out
Women who are brown and magical
Denim women who clean up well in the wash
Who are focused and afraid
To women who hear voices
To women who choose when to obey
To women who see lights
And feel colors
To women who sound like ourselves
To red clay women who are textured and raw
To women who fight and lose
Who get up and fight again
To women who win
To powerful women like me who are eyes and travel
Who are wish and bones
Who are hotel and backwoods and off road
Roar women like me who are whisper and breathy
To water women like me with intuition and burn
Forehead and fingers women like me
Feet and elbows
Legs and teeth women
Body women
Licorice and lovely
Wood and sand
Flame women
Chocolate of all these hues