Skin
Location
We are skin
We sweat, we breathe
We sing, we dance
We laugh, we love
But we are skin
Painted
Exposed
Vibrant
And soft
We are judged
Not by the likeness of heart
Not by the depth of mind
Or the flavour of tongue
But by the eye
The lip
The collar
The jaw
The sinew stretched across our bones
We are skin
Pulled tight across cheeks
Carefully primmed and prepped
Across legs, hips, and chests
Brushed by razor blades and trimmed with scissors
But I
I am not skin
I am blood
I am sweat
I am heart, liver, and flesh
I am stench
I am scars
I am unshaved jaw and untrimmed lip
I am tooth and nail
Cracked under pressure
I am words
I am feelings
I am sleepless nights and summer days
I am friend
I am lover
I am brother
But I am not
Skin