In the water of summer
the trees hurt
longing to be touched
calling out for us to put down
our laptops and cell phones
to stop flinging our bodies
full speed at computer chips
and strangers hips
the mountain is calling and I must go
warrior woman pirate souled and hyena hearted
I dare you to love each others
rebel soul
air your dirty laundry beautifully
send the skeletons in your closet on a spa day
hold a peace summit to share the first time you were ever called a whore or a slut
spare a moment of your time to
hug the homeless and look them in the eye
as you pass them your spare change
hold hands with yourself
in between relationships
pine is for endurance
in your absence I bring my body
to the trees and bathe my spirit
in peace can you imagine
a sacred former prostitute
hugging knotted trunks
and kissing fire scorched bark
rubbing fingers against
the perfect tear drop
of amber sap
asking to be filled again
download me with the innate knowledge
of my own inner wisdom
bind my wounds
as I struggle to stitch
up paper cuts
from my paper city
before I’m bled dry
the salve in my own salvation
has always been made inside
yes I am thirsting and hurting
but my body must make the journey with me as well
as I travel to the inner silence with no fear
of what I find amongst Self
Bio: Elizabeth Gade is a Minnesota based bisexual poet and human trafficking survivor. Writing is her radical way to connect with fellow survivors. Her poems have been published in View Magazine, The Elevation Review, 300 Days Of Sun, Other Worldly Women Press, The Lindenwood Review & more. Elizabeth created LEO Literary Journal, an online journal dedicated to women writers affected by incarceration, human trafficking and/or addiction. www.LeoLiteraryJournal.Weebly.com Connect with her on Instagram @ElizabethGadeThePoet
