Mammogram Poem

Thrilled this two poem was recently published in Adanna's Literary Journal Issue 11.

First mammogram
before the rain came
before the hurricane
before my appointment
I took a photo
of how beautiful
my body is today
to celebrate
how smooth and lithe
I felt in my own skin.
With my breast
clamped in the machine
I tried to remember
if any lover ever
pressed so tight
between the sheets
of rain falling
heavy on my window
rinsing grime and memories
with undue force
cold biting metal plates.
All relationships
need maintenance with time
in the name of beauty
in the name of pain
in the name of storms
Here I promise me
I’ll love myself
I’ll do that work
for me
for years to come.