i made a drawing of myself by ire’ne lara silva

to learn things i didn’t know i didn’t know where love lived
where love had taken shelter found refuge where it had 
hidden and whispered to itself and been patient and taken 
root 
             decades of saying i loved myself without knowing 
where that love lived but i drew awkward lines and awkward 
shapes and said this is me   
                                                                   and there it was here
it was in the space between my hips deep and wide rounded 
and sheltered by the strongest parts of bone here cradled in 
the center of my body
			                        where i was taught to never look or 
touch where i was taught shame and hurt lived where i 
rebelled and how i rebelled and i said this is where i write 
from 
               here tied to survival and pleasure to grief and creation 
to darkness and light and giving myself to the light birthing 
and born and rebirthing and giving myself to the light 

ire’ne lara silva, 2023 Texas State Poet Laureate, is the author of five poetry collections, most recently, the eaters of flowers, a comic book, VENDAVAL, and a short story collection, flesh to bone. Her second short story collection, the light of your body, will be published by Arte Publico Press in Fall 2025. http://www.irenelarasilva.wordpress.com

7 April 2025