by Michelle Dodd — SWWIM Every Day — SWWIM

SWWIM sustains and celebrates women poets by connecting creatives across generations and by curating a living archive of contemporary poetry, while solidifying Miami as a nexus for the literary arts.

All in by Michelle Dodd

Aug 10
Aug 10 It Wasn’t Until I Knew the Weight of My Own Skin That Black Became My Protector

SWWIM Every Day

by Michelle Dodd

by Michelle Dodd

Black be the heaviest bond,
that will never leave you stranded.

Black be the sharpened knife when you
are cornered, with politics and slick mouths.

Black be the warmth of the sun,
when the world wants you to freeze.

Black be more than pride.

Black be the comfort of a womb.

Black be what newborns see before
they open their eyes.

Even stars lay on a blanket of black space.
What else could cover the universe with love, like black does?

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Michelle Dodd is a spoken word performer residing in Richmond, Va. Dodd was a part of an Emmy nominated commercial, "Colors of RVA", for NBC12 in 2019. She is a Graduate Fellow and on staff for The Watering Hole writing retreat. She has been a three time Winter Tangerine Fellow from 2018 to 2019.