five and a half measures

Five and a half measures

Glory unfurls,
fold after fold,
heavy with
golden threads that glint
between the shimmer of silk.
They are the first to kiss the bride,
Touch her, and awaken the woman within.
They sing an ancient ode to beauty,
These five and a half measures of
Beautiful tradition.

At other times, it’s just simple threads,
Woven together, starched or soft,
They become second skin,
That define the resilience of the spirit within.
The spirit that bends over a child with equal ease,
As it bends over cotton fields,
Roughs it out through crowded streets,
All the time, defining the woman within.

But wait,
Look beyond the folds, if you will,
And you will see that hint of skin,
Revealing a glint of defiance within
A shade of rebellion of
all that she can be,
when she chooses to be.

Five and a half measures,
sacred sensuality,
all rolled in one
beautiful ream
to define the woman
that is me.