Waiting for my Real Life to Begin

I felt invincible

I burned my bra

I broke glass ceilings

I swam in oceans of salt

I dove the depth of seas

I danced until the sun rose

I felt the pain of childbirth

I felt pain of a broken limb

I climbed a corporate ladder

I made love all through the night

I felt cold and ice touch my body

I felt that I knew the meaning of life

I felt the wind ripple through my hair

I felt rain and snow caress my bare neck

I felt a baby’s heartbeat beneath my chest

I told men what I wanted and they heeded

I held a young man in my arms as he lay dying

I learned that life was fragile and let my real life begin.