Unbound
by Shakira R. Perez
In this life, there is no room for me.
No room for dark skin, tangled hair and romantic accents.
No room for bedroom eyes, infectious laughter and bare shoulders.
No room for spiritual warriors, coconut shells and omens.
No room for brujeria, palo santo and mal de ojo.
No room for the rogue, rebellious or the raunchy.
So you set rules.
Because you are afraid.
Afraid that even the darkest skin will emit the brightest light.
Afraid that your husband will lose himself in my magic
Afraid that I am protected by ancestral blessings and an army of angels.
Afraid that I will make you see yourself for who you really are
Afraid that what you despise about me is what you wished you loved about yourself.
So you cage me in and limit the sky.
But little do you know that within this cage,
I am free.
Free
to dream of galaxies and supernovas,
to remember that I was chosen,
to heal from others and heal myself,
to seek God’s face,
to live.
You can’t contain me.
I am too much for this world.
(2021)
Used by permission of the author.