Fearless

Our bodies 

carry our biographies

she says.

Her voice gentle and soothing

as she instructs us into

a yoga pose.
 The walls are green
 a mix of

jade and avocado.

Our bodies remember 

where we have been

 and who we are.

They hold the scars and shame.

I breathe

and remember the collisions 

of my soul.

Does my body remember

when I've been beaten,

even though my scars have faded.

Does it remember despair and hunger

in my darkest moments.

I was a fearless young girl

that followed her heart.

I have traveled the road

of humiliation and determination,

highs and lows.

My body remembers

the joy of the birth of my children,
holding them for the first time
as my soul lifted.

The sorrow of my parents dying,

the conflicts of religion 

and spirituality .

The hopscotch between 

two continents

that were once both home to me.

How I felt anxiety and loneliness

until I built a new world.
My soul rises,
it's always known where I belong
and how I feel.
I always knew,
never needed to search
for my identity.
I am complicated,
a contradiction
a survivor.
 I have always followed
my heart.
My words have guided me,
lifted me,
gave me a voice.
I wish to leave the words behind
not half truths
but honest confessions.
I want to wear my shame
as well as I wear my triumphs.
My love will linger in my
boys hearts and
on my lovers lips.
My love is what defines me. 

 Maria has us searching out our identity---answering one of a few questions:  Who are you and whom do you love? What else are you, that no one has seen before? Describe a morning you woke without fear. What lingers when all is said and done?