I am not ashamed
of my belly
or my butt
soft splendid mine
I am not ashamed of my hair
or my height
I am not ashamed
of my sexuality
of my gender
of my friends of my lovers
men women just lovers
I am not ashamed of the colour of my skin
where earth meets fire and each breath I take pulses through me igniting change
I am not ashamed of my stupidity or candour
or of my craving for peanut butter spread on poundcake
I am not ashamed to be
too young too old too thin too fat
too wrinkled too single too meek too shy too political
too unique too normal too pretty not pretty enough
I am not ashamed to
wear my bleeding heart on my tear soaked sleeve
to cry for each person I lost to an inevitable end

I don’t look back I don’t look forward
in regret in reprisal
in hope in expectation

I am not ashamed to live in this
moment
fragile as it is
it is my moment
I own this moment

Dubai, 29 February 2016