I HAVE THREE HEARTS
by warsan shire
mother is a cocoon where
cells spark, limbs form, mother
swells and stretches to protect her
child, mother has one foot in this world
and one foot in the next,
mother, black venus
venus falls in love,
flowers grow wherever
love touches her, this
is how she is reborn.
girl turning into woman
woman turning into mother
mother turning into venus
i’m watching life inside me grow;
there’s life growing inside me
and i’m beside myself with dreams.
was it your voice i hear? you speak to me
from inside me,
i have three hearts.
in the dream i am crowning
osun,
nefertiti,
and yemoja
pray around my bed,
i can smell jasmine,
i wake up as someone
places a wreath
upon my head.
venus has flooded me,
second planet from the sun,
i wake up on her foamy shore.
she wants to take me to meet my children.
I’ve done this before i’m still nervous.
The Delightful Mrs P 