My #BeReal guest today is C. Streetlights.
This lady comes to the series via Rachel Thompson. I am so grateful to find myself among such a wonderful community of writers.
Today C. Streetlights has submitted this beautiful poem for the series. She is also being very real in that she has never showed her tattoo off like this before. I think it’s beautiful !
Please take a moment to leave her your thoughts.
Carolina Lindsay Photography
Your body is a temple…
My body is a holy place,
to guard against evil like immodesty
and markers on my skin.
And yet,
Who guards the holy from the unholy?
Does the shrine invite raiders with
her laughter,
or
eyes
or lips?
No.
Your body is a temple…
And I worship the house of my spirit.
By
protecting the light it holds in its hands
by
celebrating marks on my skin from babies
by
acknowledging scars gifted to me by Death
by
revealing the artwork I’ve long kept hidden.
My body is a temple…
it houses my soul, a spirit that refuses
to be broken
or tamed
to fit a mold
so others could be comfortable with their own pretenses.
My body is a temple.
Let my light so shine,
so survivors know
all are welcome here.
After writing and illustrating her first bestseller in second grade, “The Lovely Unicorn”, C. Streetlights took twenty years to decide if she wanted to continue writing. In the time known as growing up she became a teacher, a wife, and mother. Retired from teaching, C. Streetlights now lives with her family in the mountains along with their dog that eats Kleenex. Her new memoir, Tea and Madness is now available.
You can follow C. Streetlights on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
If you like the idea of the #BeReal campaign, and want to share your views on it, please link up with us. You can help make this a bigger, brighter movement than it already is.
All opinions welcome – it’s about being real, after all!
To help spread the message, read and share one another’s posts.
And remember – be YOU! #BeReal.
HASTYWORDS 
FRIST
LikeLike
I love this poem – I want to get to that stage of thinking one day. And the tat is awesome. And HEY *waves a big happy hello* I’m so happy to bump into you again, C.Streetlights, and I have to say, I love the way the tree looks a little like that bookmark you sent me 🙂 🙂
LikeLike
Hello! I’m so happy to see you, too! Trees are so meaningful to me. I love how they grow and reach up to the sun no matter where they are. And just thrilled you like the bookmark I sent you. Did you like the book?
LikeLiked by 1 person
You didn’t send me a book lol…unless you mean the tiny one with a teapot on it! Unless I’ve gone utterly crazy! Which I admit is a possibility at this stage.
LikeLike
We emailed you an ARC of my book, did the link not work?
LikeLike
Love the poem and I’m not usually a poem person! The tattoo is beautiful and the photograph is stunning. So gorgeous
LikeLike
I’m so happy you love the poem — I’m not generally a poem person either and so when I’m moved to write one it can sometimes surprise me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“by acknowledging scars gifted to me by Death”
That, right there. Deep stuff. As someone with his share of gifts, this just hit me right in the feels.
LikeLike
Celebrate these scars, Sir. They are, indeed, gifts. xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
For every tree, be a good tree, even those that wander far from once they came, to plant themselves among soil and rock, to take root, take hold and reach upwards, for much resides beneath their bark and within their leaves, a history and a future.
LikeLike