On being a woman

On Being a Woman
By Tegan Behel

I have been hunched here,
for 100 years,
stuck in the shape
of a conch shell,
hearing nothing but waves.

If I met a Djinn,
my first wish would be for world peace,
but my second would be to
crack my spine in 1000 places.

Imagine each crack,
a whip of relief,
an unfurling,
a straightening,
a release.

When I chewed bubble gum,
the taste was fleeting,
but the
POP,
POP,
POP
would last for hours.

Like that.

My third wish would be to stand tall
for the rest of my life.