Writing the Body: a collective list

This list was created on Monday, June 13, 2016, at the start of a workshop held at the Tompkins County Public Library. The theme of the workshop was "Writing the Body / Moving the Body" and making individual lists was our 5-minute warm-up. Here are samples from each list, combined into one larger, collective piece . . . a body mosaic.


My body is beautiful the way it is, it is artistic, natural, magical. My body is part of the universe. It is not perfect, it does not define me, it is not an object. My body is 68 years old, it enjoys gardening and having fun again, it is growing more and more gray hairs. It does not walk the dog anymore, it does not adjust well to changes in altitude (getting out of a chair, going up the stairs).

My body is partially broken, almost hairless, getting stronger. It is supported by at least three mechanical devices. My body is old but it is not ancient. It is not getting weaker, betraying me, preventing me from doing what I want to do. My body is useful, important to me, still telling me things, able to remember things, comfortable. My body is not useless, weak, worn out, too demanding, afraid to communicate.

My body is a fun vessel to inhabit. It is female, ripe, mature, nicely curvaceous. My body is part Native American, part German. My body has been changed by birthing and nursing. My body is appreciated. My body is on the path toward dying. My body is not skinny, male, problematic, irritating, teen-aged, fragile, sad, or small. My body is faithful, familiar, where I live. My body is not young.

My body is alive. It is a miracle. It is an energetic waterway. My body is able to heal itself. It is able to run on solar power. My body is not immortal, immutable, unwise, stationary. My body is not without flaws, but I don't care. My body is mine, it is large, functional, observant, sometimes in pain. My body is aware of all the senses. It is not ugly, it is not petite. It is not yours.

My body is the best gift from my parents. It is the strongest soldier I know. My body is changing every day. It is a canvas, it is what people judge me on first. My body is too demanding. It is betraying me. My body is not always my friend. It is not a dumpster, it is not a quitter, it is not someone else's property. My body is not a toy for you to play with. My body is not like anyone else's.

My body is open, it is an extension of my mind folded inside out, it is a living breathing house. My body is how my heart carries out its wants. My body is not mine alone, it is not private, it is not dead. My body is not fixed or afraid. It is not disconnected from me. My body is comfortable. It is sometimes in my way. It is a thing I like to decorate (with gold). My body is annoying at times. It is the result of the life I've lived for 74 years. My body is not as agile as it used to be. It is not an excuse. My body is not always obedient to my wishes.

My body is my own, my cage, my prison, my enemy. My body is dependent on coffee. My body is all I have. My body is identical to my twin sister's yet completely different. My body is mortal, fragile. It is 22 years old. My body is not yours, it is not made to please you. It is not my ally or your home. My body is not what I see in the mirror. My body is a blessing, my instrument, my nemesis, my enemy. My body is an enigma. It is my question mark. My body is not what it used to be, it is not my dancer's body. My body is not someone I want to take a shower with.

My body is brave, experienced, strong, aging, muscular, sagging, slowing down, wanting too much food too often. My body is growing hair in all the wrong places. It is not as predictable as it used to be, it is not as tall as it used to be, it is not as anxious or as worried as it used to be. My body is most alive early in the morning. It is stronger today than it was last year. It is calm. It is 65 years old. My body is not ever going to run a marathon. It is not a disappointment to me. It is not my mother's or my father's but I recognize bits and pieces of their bodies in my body.

My body is.


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Thank you to all these contributors:

Annalisa Raymer
Barbara Kane Lewis
Betsy Herrington
Dianne Ferris
Katherine Grudens
Kim Falstick
Lynn Olcott
Mara Alper
Mary Louise Church
Patricia Grudens
Rainbow Crow
Rosette Epstein
Ruth O'Lill
Victoria Pallard
Zee Zahava