It’s a Girl

By S.S. Hicks

The ground beats below us,
Little one,
Along with our hearts
A still and sudden revelation
Of distance silhouettes

We grow into strong, resilient women,
Cradling fleshy insides,
Aware of brutish men
Dragged into bushes, left for dead
Headlines and huddles

Welcome to our vulnerability
The late-night walk across campus
A back alley with limp yellow lights
The day hike into bramble and cricket call
This slice of fear is one we cannot shake easily

It burrows under our fingertips
Ready to claw out the eyes of evil
It is our sixth sense,
Gifted to us
At birth