because we made it so by Sophia McGovern

the loofahs hang above me

swinging in the steamy desert air

these gifts were grown

from my family’s new dreams

that rattled with seeds

I split the plant skeleton in two

washed the pieces

softened them for bare skin

now they reflect one another

one for me

one for my husband

they hold our past

selves and skins

this hot water untangles

the recordings of forgotten fights

knotted in my back

today is a good day because we made it so

my partner writes in his office

and the poet seeps from my skin

she smiles and tastes salt

ready once more

to sew words like sinews

to the bones

that hold our home together

Sophia McGovern is a writer, zinester, and fiber lover who runs Little Somethings Press. She lives in Tempe, Arizona with her writer-man, new baby, and cat. Her work can be found in Fiction Attic Press, the Arizona English Journal, and elsewhere. Find her on Instagram at @sophiamcgo