Angie Contini’s ‘fierce’

from fierCe

eve
will you choose to be fierce now? 
and in becoming fierce be free 
this restless mess is for keeping not culling 
this weight for wanting not mocking 
when mocking will end you and me


eve 
will you choose to be fierce?
with belt on your back nine times 
and soap on your tongue 
and snake at jaw 
unjam your pasted-up mouth and roar


eve 
when you feel yourself empty 
there are bodies within you 
yet thrown 
yet cast 
yet shaped 
eve, are you listening?
all fragile mess and pushed-down soul 
be the thing pushed down
be the ache in the neck of the earth 
for this is our atlas 
the myth we’re in 
this holding onto things 
and holding things up 
it’s a way 
to keep you–us– 
held in


and eve 
when you’re subtle 
and an unseen flame 
there’ll be veins to purge 
a future to ripen 
mocking to kill 
and masks to shed


and there, eve
you’ll be art
we’ll find a plinth for your mess to be read


eve, will you choose to be fierce now?