Unearthed

the sound is echoing all around me

humming loudly in my ear

louder it gets

but the beating of my heart is as still as can be

the waves of calm washing over me

knowingly,

reassuringly,

washing away my identity

removing the piece of me I have carried for a lifetime

the part of me that identifies me the most

and yet when it is done

I am still here

I am still whole

nothing really has changed

I learn about myself

to carry myself in a different way

as if I am compensating for my loss

but what have I lost

is that all there is to me

I refuse to affirm the answer

I learn more about myself

carry myself differently again

better this time

with my shoulders back and head high

I resemble queens of eras gone by

and I realise

that is exactly what I am. ◆

Aneesha is a London born South Asian woman learning to express herself through various forms of creative writing. Find her on Instagram.