Bun-Bun

A WNW Poem

Femininity is like a rabbit,

it needs to be free to survive,

not caged in the hungry mouth of

wanting hands,

tamed

to suffer for other peoples’ needs.

Femininity runs at the slightest glint of danger,

shapeshifting

to protect the woman;

curves diffusing

behind the grayscale ambiguity

of baggy clothes,

hair cut,

thin nails

manicured.

Femininity is not a weakness;

it is a balance, like a knife on fingertips,

or the pearly wisdom of bared teeth,

or the eyes fixed forward

but ears trained somewhere else.

It is both the innocent rabbit sunning

and the wary rabbit fleeing into the dark,

it is being poised for the hunt,

and planning how to not fall prey.

It is a practice,

a worship,

an art,

a lesson,

a coven of sisters sharing scars,

tiger stripes on the belly,

or acne on the cheek.

Femininity is the freedom

to be anything

you need to be.

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The Word Not World Series (WNW) is an interactive anthology where, once a week, I share a photo and peers give me words that inspired them. The requests are listed below:

“Bun-Bun,” was from my mama on IG.

“Diffused,” was Rachel Writes Fiction

“Innocent” was @catscratch345 on IG.

“Grayscale” was from @shallowmeets_therabbithole on IG.

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Artwork: This painting is a work titled “Rabbit” by Togyū Okumura.