today I reckoned 
the universe conspired against me 
my name it hearkened 
I surrendered to it completely  

claimed territory
over my folds and orifices
inflammatory
conquered even my crevices

pain, this universal, mother tongue 
I learned her well / speak unaccented 

permission to live
with saline drips and surgical tricks
found comfort in love,
and art: tales, poems, and shutter clicks  

therefore, I reasoned
the universe conspired against me 
but never managed 
to break me the way that you broke me

  • Zahraa Chorghay occasionally attempts self-expression through art, calling upon her understanding of science, her experience surviving chronic illness, and her existence at the intersections of multiple self-identities.

  • Show Comments (0)

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

comment *

  • name *

  • email *

  • website *

You May Also Like

The Art of Healing and of Being a Healer

We are born ready to heal Life is traumatic from the get-go Birth. Wailing, ...

Witch

How many horcruxes do I have left? She-whose-name-will-inevitably-be-mispronounced Mischief and no longer a mistress ...

Les douloureu.x.ses

Image: Cassie Jones, Healing from the Inside Out, 2018. Respirer. Soulever sa cage thoracique. Étirer le cou pour faire ...

« En touchant le fond des océans »

Illustration by Geneviève Darling, 2018. On peut souffrir de l’intérieur et n’avoir aucun bleu ...

Parents Shield Us

Parents shield us from the very thing that may exist in their sweet child. ...