a scar is another language
I always had to break
into crumbs. to be able
to fit on my tongue.
I once had a skin that life
had not written upon. it tasted
like it had never been burnt
by the sun and kissed by
the moon. because it covered
only flesh and not memories.
I once had a skin that was not
heavy. it spoke in silence
like an image in a mirror does.
and smelled like the voice of a man
dying of thirst.
I once had a skin. a cloth. a land
that was bare. until I took it for a walk
to drink the sky in the day
and breathe in the stars at night.
to anyone fighting their body
because of its scars:
a scar is another language
written on your body. that you
should never feel ashamed
of speaking.
Jay Kophy is a 23-year-old Ghanaian poet and writer. His poems have featured in literary magazines such as kpodola, Kalahari Review, Eunoia Review, Tampered Press and many others. His debut pamphlet By the Fireside was published by Libros Agency in 2018. His most recent project is curating to grow in two bodies, a collection of poems and short stories from 35 poets and writers. You can follow his works on Twitter @jay_kophy.