I wrote this poem after using the bathroom at the Publix grocery store on a road trip. I had to use the bathroom and a much younger woman was finishing up what looked to be a long session of preening as I walked in. Seeing her made me grateful I could use the bathroom in peace for my own needs instead of setting the stage for someone else.
ASHES TO ASHES
It takes all-consuming amounts of energy
to transform
from being a young woman-
who is desired as an object,
to desire as a subject.
The transfer of power
from walking through this portal
is not heralded all at once
but plays out ever so slowly.
Backing out of the theatre
what once took a whisper
now takes a shout.
But this amplification is worth it.
Oh, so worth it.
Because you rise like a phoenix
to face the challenges
of the last fade
with strength
and courage.
