the myth of where i come from

years ago a woman came to this earth
vacant of cunning and desire
the men of the land looked upon her
with the devil in their gaze
systematically stripped her of
worth peace ignorance

her hips became the beat of beasts
swayed to reap, cocked to sow, rocked to love
her breasts nourished hungry desires
took from them what they wanted
and their souls were her own
until the man of goodwill arrived

she spoke to him in hushed whispers
let her breath echo in his ear
promised him the cosmos
then shook from the want to deliver
and though they loved,
he could not bear to see her
through the fingerprints of others
he turned her aside as no other was able
left her to grieve on rough knees

she came upon the sea cliff
her sigh wrinkled the universe
and tears salted the waters
the wind carried heart’s lament
before she leapt…

save the gods were as impassioned as the mortals
allowed sea spray height to the heavens
to bring their girl home

but she loved the earth well

and her man even more,

asked for a vacation from paradise

and even now walks from

island to island

in search of goodwill.