I want you to know that I see you.
I see you behind the scenes.
I see you trying to slide into the room.
I see you wiggling all the door knobs to see which ones unlock.
I see you jiggling the windows to check if they might open.
I see you kick the wall where you think there’s a crack.
You have forgotten the word my Mother blessed upon my life.
You have forgotten the word inscribed on my shoulder in her script.
I have not forgotten.
I am one with the memory, and one with the word.
I am the one who holds the portraits.
I am the one who ran the races, all before us.
It is me, it is mine.
It is the world I built, divine.
It is my fortress.
~ csmv, 2022.