my place in the world

my place in the world
is two rubber soles taking root
between black gum spots embedded in blocks of cement

my place in the world
is on street corners
i am a feature of inner city safari
for passers by safe behind teflon glazed vehicles
to whom i appear dirty and unreal

my place in the world
is a breathing piece of art
with two pairs of lips
one of which
i am supposed to keep shut
and the other
always open

my place in the world is a plethora of identities
i got more names and numbers than a phone book!
ma, ho, shorty, dime piece, honey dip, bitch, down ass bitch
5 foot 5
measurements
36
28
39
36, 28, 39
36-28-39

these names and numbers have come to real my life
because in a man's world
all that matters is
who you know
and how much you can get

as women we've been stretched to fill a capitalist model
our bodies
should reach their full potential
as simultaneous incubators
24/7 sex machines
and holding cells for male discontent
our bones are bars
constantly beat on
so-called male revolutionaries
expressing distress for men higher up but
blindly releasing violent words against our wombs
are not war drums

my place in the world
is like water
cause i've been told the only things you should never pay for
is water and pussy
i guess i am just like water
for my mind has been polluted
with abstract colors shapes lines
packaged in billboard skin
made up in jawbreaker layers of mac make-up
bound in nudity
and blinged out handcuffs
eyes chained to TVs and magazines

my place in the world
is to be occupied
arranging mental filing cabinets
bursting with collections of cut-out fashion ads
images of what i am supposed to look like
above each illustration
a title, and a measurement
just names and numbers are all i know

my place in the world
is to be occupied
like the land my grandmother slept on
punctured with shells and stamped with the approval from boots of GIs
where my body is under martial law
the pathway from school to home is a war zone
a battle is between me and soldier struggling to unzip
but he's got 100 lbs and 10 inches on me
so i find religion in 30 seconds and pray to their god
that after he's done he'll snap my neck
i'm already so close to dead

seeing through salt waterfalls as he
rips
splits
me open
defiles the holiest place of my body

playing dead

my place in the world is a feature on 3rd world military tours
he is safe behind his bright flag and shiny gun
and i am dirty and unreal

my place in the world is
pollution
occupation
names
numbers
stained with sweat and sperm
occupied by thoughts of
ho
bitch
shorty
36. 28. 39.

my place in the world is just
a woman