Reyna's Interlude

[Spoken Word Interlude: Reyna Biddy] An ode to the black woman's body She's been through a lot Years and years on end, she chose to keep on To hold on to love, then to love again Then to lose to love again To hug black bodies like it's the last time Like, last time every time To bear baby after baby Praying this time maybe they'll be birthed into safety Ideally a place where someone can love them Hoping this time, we can trust each other enough to tell one another our fears I might start by saying, "I need you" When you go, I'm afraid to let you I don't wanna survive alone again Our bodies have become too familiar With chance, with each other, with freedom But never a chance to experience freedom with each other these days I'm tired of sharing your body between the world and me So, won't you promise this time, your body will make it home to me To this love, to this unity To this journey we're supposed to be on together Yesterday, tomorrow and forever, today I'll be waiting for our forever after Nobody tells you how to survive as a black woman So let me learn you a lesson Black women, you are a threat on every point of the map You are love, in its purest form, all unapologetic, all unconditional Always too compassionate, sometimes too forgiving But, never too afraid to show up Black women, you are everything they knew you wouldn't be You are gorgeous, even through the suffering You needn't forget why You hold the world together Thank you for your mercy You are the strongest form of human Black women