what i would miss about my body if i didn’t have one

If you don't already know who Andrea Gibson is, I implore you to look them up.

I've written about them in the past, and every time I read their words, or see a video of them performing, my heart always breaks open.

It's like a release, a recognition, a remembering what my soul is made from - what I'm truly meant to be. I recently came across a prompt they gave and decided to write a poem based on that prompt and wanted to share it here.

Here's what Andrea wrote:

What a profound question to consider - what would my soul miss about having a body?

Here’s the poem I created:

What I would miss about my body

If i no longer had one

is holding my loved ones close

feeling the clench of tiny fingers

on my belly as we lay in bed,

warm and cozy, bringing comfort on a hard night

i would miss the feeling

of a sweet kiss on my lips from my beloved

the feeling of cold ice on the back of my neck

on a hot day, drenched in sweat and savoring

the refreshing sensation of wind and air caressing me

i would miss my body weeping with sorrow

the release it brings when i've been holding on too tight

i would miss the way my heart

jumps into my throat, or the way

my belly tightens when I'm overwhelmed with emotion

i would miss the feeling of love in my body

the way i can't almost contain it

i would miss being me

the most

being present, heavy, held,

loved,

and wanted

Today, I invite you to do the same.

What would you miss about your body if you no longer had one?

Once written, how does this change your relationship to yourself? What shifts inside of you as you read your own words aloud?

There's a lot of hard things going on right now. But I would argue that there has always been a lot of hard things happening in the world at any given time.

What would it be like to give yourself a little grace, a little compassion and warmth, and release some of the weight of what you’re carrying?

Maybe that’s what we’re needing more of.

Release, recognition, and kindness.

For ourselves….and for each other.

—

❤️

Mari