The Taboo of the Hand

The camp counselor split
our sex in half
so semen
could be saved:

beneath the cloth of God
we sat in chairs
to hear the word.

trapped under church bells
good boys & girls nodded
as a video spoke of our temples—

desecrated
by our obscene mind
and blasphemous touch.

Our wholesome nature
was to be preserved
beyond the flesh:

but I hadn’t discovered the juice
of my body yet

the trace under my belly
was faint—

Now—
drawing circles around my
bushy triangle

I disrobe and wrap myself
in rose scent and settle into the tub

let water drain–

tuck myself under the fiber
and feel pieces of flesh
falling like petals
into my hand

My solitude has spoken.

Caroline Reddy’s work has appeared in Active Muse, Calliope, Grey Sparrow, Starline, and Tupelo Quarterly Review among others. In the fall of 2021, her poem “A Sacred Dance'' was nominated for the Best of The Net prize by Active Muse. A native of Shiraz, Iran, Caroline’s work has also appeared in the anthology Iranian Women Speak to raise awareness for ZanZendegiAzadi/ WomenLifeFreedom (International Human Rights Arts Festival, 2023) Her first manuscript Shake the Atmosphere to Reclaim an Empty Moment is forthcoming with Pierian Springs Press.