Shed
shed ancestral trauma like a snake shedding skin,
the more layers that fall away
the deeper you find the beauty and the pain
of being alive.
slither out from maternal patterns of
smaller than
less than
should have been.
pull back scars that feel old and wise,
beneath lies older and wiser truth.
scrap your scales against the rocks,
feel every bit of their sharp edges
as they peel back the surface
and reveal the gemstones beneath.
polish your new skin in sands warmed by the sun,
let each grain dig deep
let them smooth suffering and sorrow
that move through you as song
and from you back into the dirt.
wind like a snake that releases its scales over and over,
prepare for the next wave of clearing
lay your belly against the bosom of the mother
you are held.
you are loved.
you are safe to shed.
Written November 2023
Maren Madalyn, Education Freelance Writer & Strategist 