sometimes
I forget how to human
how to walk this complicated body
away from danger
I forget these teeth are not weapons
there is no safety in these
weak fingernails
they will never be claws
I can’t outrun other predators on these two feet
and I forget that
I forget how to speak my truths
how to wrap my lips around what I want
and breathe it into understanding
the magic of words
necessary
in a species evolved so far from feral
from growl
and howl
and yip
sometimes
I forget how to be human
and it’s the primal beat of the drums
pulsing in the darkness
that reminds me of my humanity
as I dance
this body finding its wild
in the untamed movements of hands
and feet and hips
and breath
I inhale to remember
how to use this body to become
magic
and exhale to forget
how to limit it to silly human
thing
Larissa Lee 