Spring song

First published by ACON 2024 in ‘The Loud Way Home‘¹

Acorn-like, I split,
goose my neck for the light;
burst forth
feather out.

Or maybe it’s less boss bitch² than that
and I start small,
slowly notice my foot, one toe; paint a nail?

Dye a few strands of hair;
meet my own eyes, just once;
remember to shower
or to eat.

However it happens, it starts.
Change — the only thing it’s safe to expect  —
comes for us all.

My body’s right here —
as she was, all long.
If I relearn her contours,
the boundaries, what it feels like

to be safe,
will desire spring again
from that hidden well?

Can I reknit my body sock
in rainbow,
like maybe, deep inside
she always was?

Reading at Pride Poetry 2025:

1. This anthology of works by queer survivors of sexual abuse was launched on 12 October 2024 at The Red Rattler in Marrickville, Sydney.
   Cover image and fibre art/yarnbombing by Catherin J Pascal Dunk, 2024-2025.  ↩︎
2. Reference to ‘Boss Bitch’ by Doja Cat. Such a cool song! ↩︎