Canvas Pt. I
she never took her shirt off
she listed her excuses
like, “I don’t want a sunburn”
or “because my religion refuses”
however
the truth was something deeper
even she couldn’t understand
“why did I yank my arm back
when he tried to hold my hand”
she began to lift her shirt up
trembling in the mirror
she inched the fabric upward
the reason becoming clearer
her torso wasn’t blistered
or covered in God’s name
instead, a canvas of footprints
a board for someone else’s game
it wasn’t her personal property
no lease was in her name
it wasn’t hers to cherish
instead, a public domain
is this the way it should be?
her ownership a crime
she’s cast away opinions
the “your running out of time”s
her clock is set to daylight
ticking a unique beat
the hours hers to count on
the footprints from her feet
-isa briones