Emily Vieweg
My…
you said you felt bad for anything that’s had to live inside My Uterus.
I suppose, because I refuse to allow you access to police it. see,
My Uterus has nourished two embryos from conception to birth and
My Vagina has engaged several partners who have never had a bad word to say.
but your comment was not about the hospitality or room service of My Reproductive System.
you said you felt sorry for anything that’s had to live inside My Uterus.
does that include the semen I did not invite? does that include the
unwelcomed microbes infecting My Cervix? does that include the
fresh seeds french-kissing My Labia without my consent?
no.
you said you felt bad for anything I let grow inside My Uterus.
so, you just feel sorry for the children I bore of my own free will—children
who are learning to police themselves instead of others—children
who embrace difference and learn… instead of fearing change.
which is it? do you worship My Womb, or do you attack My Oviduct?
do you relish My Sweet Self or do you obsess over My Ovaries?
you said you felt sorry for anything that’s had to live inside My Uterus.
ahh! your comment was supposed to anger me! upset me! make me feel guilty!
force me to morph into the rabid animal you expect of all free-thinking independent females! yes!
you said you felt bad for anything I let grow inside My Uterus.
ahh, your comment was to force me to argue—force me to what, agree with you?
force me to deny My Truth?
what, it hurt your feelings, I guess, when I said I would still fight for your right to choose what you think is best for you, because we are sisters in this world—yes, you are woman, too—
ROARING—
and you could have thanked me for a spirited debate, you could have thanked me for having your back, you could have thanked me…
instead—you verbally ravage My Cozy, Nourished, Able Uterus?
your comment was not about My Uterus.
your comment was about your anger. your rage. your inability to accept the fact that
My Uterus is My Business.
and no matter how often you laugh, joke, berate or insult her—
I do not give you permission to police her.
Emily Vieweg’s work has appeared in Soundings Review, Art Young’s Good Morning, Proximity Magazine, Spillwords.com, and other journals. Originally from St. Louis, she lives in Fargo, where she is a mother of two, a cat wrangler and an office assistant.
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