‘Stretch Marks’

Princewill Ovie is a 36 year old multi disciplinary artist from Nigeria, and also a graduate of fine and applied art.

Stretch Marks

Rip right through me 

                   tear my skin 

                         leave your mark 

                                    become a scar 

Who I used to be 

            forever embalmed 

A sad young woman 

encaged in her elephantine skin 

Counting pound 

                 after pound, 

                           after pound 

eating to drown 

the sorrows 

Watching as you multiplied 

stretching longer 

                         and longer 

                                        and longer

And now you’re stained 

                           on every part, 

                                          on every bend,

You appear, 

                craters in my skin 

and I do everything I can 

                          to hide you away  

Yet, he seeks you out 

runs his finger              tips 

over                   lightning 

                                                 stripes 

You’ve created 

on my arms 

                and legs, 

my hips,

                 my dips,

my rolls, 

                  and my folds 

I try not to cringe and cry 

                       when his hands 

                                   slide down 

                                              my sides 

when he grazes over the rim 

                       of my ripped skin 

leaving marks of his own 

He says he doesn’t notice 

         doesn’t care

         doesn’t mind

Kisses the ridges 

      Caresses the edges 

I accept his acceptance of you 

                      because I can’t do it myself

Isabella Walker is a poet and author from a small town in Missouri. She graduated from Stephens College with a Bachelors in Creative Writing and was Editor-in-Chief of the school magazine Harbinger. She has been published in Mid Rivers Review magazine and self publishes all of her work on Vocal.