An Ode to Crying

And it came to pass that he said to the woman
let there be light, water, blood
and a backbone. Watch how it bends,
watch how it caves in, watch how
the woman’s body trembles.
Look at all the ways I try to make
my body smaller. This sea in my room
used to resemble a girl who cried so
much she vanished. Water eroding earth,
we forget all sand used to be a mountain.
What does it do to the woman’s body?
All the dust we return to must have come from her.
Someone once said, Jesus wept. So
I won’t be ashamed if I do. Let the
salt crystalize on my cheek. Even if
I look back, I’m already a pillar. A
salt statue of what once was a woman
Put me in a museum, give me a plaque that reads—
Here lies the woman afraid to not cry,
to not weep, to not know the taste of
one’s own sadness and see that it is sweet.

Donald Patten

Taylor Franson Thiel is a writer from Utah, now based in Fairfax, Virginia. She received her Master’s in creative writing from Utah State University and is pursuing an MFA at George Mason University. Her writing frequently centers on playing as a Division One basketball player, the body, and mental health. Along with writing, she enjoys lifting heavy weights and reading fantastic books. You can find her on twitter @TaylorFranson