For Ekvi

 Each morning I wake up 

The first thing I do is pull on the sunrise

I wrap the warm golden light around me

And try to secure it around myself with hair ties and bobby pins

I try to paint my lips with gratitude 

And line my eyes with compassion

But I make sure to put my rage on my desk where I can see it clearly

Some days the gratitude goes on crooked

And there's nothing I can do to make the compassion look less femme

And I face my day half-dressed and half-put together

Some days the sunlight fades before noon

Every morning I wake up and I think about which socks I should wear

Will it be cold?

Will my feet be comfortable?

Will I be able to tread on the ground?

Some days I wake up and it's too much work to put on pants

To make myself a breakfast of joy and protein

To bite off my bitterness and sand my sharp edges into a smile

But every day I wake up

Because I deserve the sunrise