power can be found in the strangest places
like in the broken body of infertility
or in the aching heart of the betrayed
but it’s found in the simplest places too
like in the inhale and exhale of each breath
and in the decision to climb out of bed each day
beauty is like power in the way it exists
in the obvious places we’re taught to look
but also at the clenched jaw of anger in check
and in the white knuckles from holding back
or around the dark circles from sleepless nights
and between the teardrops rolling down cheeks
life needs a bit of everything good and bad
from the bullshit in a liar’s words
to the moans from a lover’s touch
because the darkness can be terrifying
and the brightness can burn your eyes
but we need both light and shadows to thrive
Larissa Lee 