A mere flesh covered by skin
Breathing but not alive
Every drop of ink
scattered through my veins
popped in my skin
drew my bare naked body
Etched titanium
embedded in me
Hanging, flashing, dashing
“Oh, my dearest beauty marks” spit I
“What a Cunt that you are!” cried They
Now, They attack my mane
“Cover it if you don’t want to be teased!”
The mane died in my hand, hanging breathless over my shoulder
downcast just like me
Then onto my linens
“Too short! Too religious! Do you want to be used?”
The worms in the ground between my ferns laughed at me, fad, they say
“Just use these fern leaves”
Whinge to the city bus smoke
Cry to the horn of the black sedan
Sneered angrily at the noise of the gold mine
Then, when can I be as free as the breeze at four o’clock? I?
8/8/23
Author’s note:
Juwita is often used as a girl’s name in Indonesian culture. It has lots of meanings, but to
conclude everything, it represents beauty.