listen for the sounds.

i take your hand and place it on my abdomen. close your eyes. under the skin you feel, under the heat i am producing, lies a stomach that i hate and that, lately, hates me too.

gather the little ones in.

she hated me touching her, because she had been touched before. roughly, with no love, just used. an object some man who wasnt a man picked. i wish i could say that i showed her uncompromising understanding and acceptance. but i wasn't strong enough. when she flinched when i brushed her hair back i knew i wasnt strong enough, not for her. not how she needed.

gather the little ones in. set them in a circle in the center of the room. let them stare at each other, let them make themselves nervous.

then they will forget about the cold.

look at me when you talk. i need to see your eyes. please.

gather me in.