~Jenuine
if the womb of this belly
never bears fruit
am I still a woman?
what about all the poetry
that has been conceived
in the womb of my soul?
if these loins
never labor forth a child
am I still a woman?
what about all the dreams
that have labored
out of the loins of my mind?
if these breasts
never nourish a babe’s belly
am I still a woman?
what about all the
hungry hearts this
breast has fed?
if the pieces of me and those of another
never become one
am I still a woman?
what about those who
of my flesh were not born
but to my soul have been knit?
if this body
never shudders in pain to give another, life
am I still a woman?
what of the beautiful piece of pain
that is loving and nurturing
the offspring of my heart, all the days of my life?
I just need to know
does my labor
and my life
and my love
and my loss
count?
am I still a woman?
