Sanctified Dust
The Inherited Rocking Chair
he sits generations of dust mix as he rocks parents smile placing their children upon his lap his sagging breasts suckling all ages rhythmic rocking keeping them soothed while the wood creaks out music
Sanctified Dust
Where faith, ritual, and recovery are turned over like soil.
Sanctified Dust
The Devil Made Me Do It
a friend recounting her childhood trauma closes with a familiar scripture they didn't know any better the author of sin smiles these words keep him safe our heavenly father he gives us fear he gives us shame the trauma giver obeys the Father forever turning the children to
Sanctified Dust
the Strait and Narrow
efficiency profitability conformity
Sanctified Dust
Great Corpse
I swim where it bites my family atop the back joined by a mass of people each person holding a rope ropes twisted in knots leading to the head the people pull the ropes steering the ancient relic wrought using the swords rusted by oxygen rich blood endless iron bones
Sanctified Dust
Object Lesson
reduced to an object because I'm a girl a board a rose some gum a cupcake something for others to consume to manipulate to display to value an adornment for the priesthood from youth to wife to death bed dangling purity at the arms of men
Sanctified Dust
No Blood
my friend was cut by finger eyes she wasn't even ten a knife leaves blood a trace of believability blood brings healing she didn't bleed a closed up cut left to swim in her heart it's been twenty years new fingers cut others she
Sanctified Dust
Flies
a woman's sexual purity is a garbage dump for patriarchy an uncontrolled mind seeks control I don't like my sins so I seek someplace to put them the boneless hand opens words swarm like flies: here is a woman made to carry your burden if you
Sanctified Dust
What was she wearing?
hold an object a blue smooth marble rolling in your palm slightly cool bounds and limits a container movement direction shape size governed by physics a reduction outward measurements as you look a woman walks towards you she asks a question what does it matter? object person
Sanctified Dust
Harpman
I don't know why I'm a trans woman I Who Have Never Known Men a prisoner in my body transitioning allows me sunlight and like in the book my prison follows me answers aren't real knowledge reveals more questions so I keep seeking I
Sanctified Dust
Not Mom Not Sir But
for me gender transition resolves how off I’ve felt since childhood for them it feels off we are seeing the same event but from different parts of the room without knowing it my transition began twelve years ago when I started dismantling religion—then patriarchy my family did not
Sanctified Dust
Change
the way I exposed my womanhood to my family the messiness the regret the rejection I blame myself for the outcome they are consistent they are backed by eternal truth unchanging I change change is wrong I am wrong rivers are wrong seasons are wrong mountains are wrong may my
Sanctified Dust
Cis
men don't want to be women women don't want to be men they don't want to be either transgender corrects only the assigning mistake when we understand this no one will be transgender