Reimagining Hurt

How would you like to feel
in your body J Mase III asked before beginning his
workshop with a group of thirteen womxn
and trans folx dealing with body trauma?

How would you humanise
your scars? Can you write yourself a blessing? Can you write about what hurts
most? Can you reimagine healing? How would you like to feel in your body?

loved/ loved/ loved/
loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/
loved/ loved/ loved/ beautiful/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/
loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ whole again, please?/
loved/ desired/ loved/ wanted/ loved/ understood/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/
loved/ loved/ not so lonely/ loved/ unfucked/ loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/
loved/ loved/ loved/ loved/ really just that, i think/ loved/ loved/ i could
fill this entire page with that one word

like I have filled all my
nights with that word

during the day I focus on
other words beautiful/ desired/ wanted/ understood/ unfucked but in the dark of
the night under the star-sequinned georgette sky it is always that one word
loved –

This poem was written at the “Write Me Where It Hurts: On Healing From Body Trauma Through Poetry” Workshop organised on February 21, 2019, by Brown University’s LGBTQ Centre and conducted by the Black/ trans poet and educator, J Mase III.