by Alice Godliman

It’s like a blanket;
for a moment you’re just one thread in the weave of fabric,
each fibre the warp and weft interlacing in time with the music–
each one holding and being held.

Shoulders touching, hands clutching, mouths shouting;
screaming lyrics so loudly they can’t be heard,
strands of Kate Bush pulled through material of the moment.
A simple touch – fingers clasping to each other as fibres knit together,
knowing this instant is important–
The fates of mythology made sure of it when they braided ourselves together,
each moment of contact a point of intersection, and each beat the mechanism of weaving together the fibres of our cotton lives:

The passing of tissue under a bathroom stall,
The sure grip of three plastic pint glasses, artfully balanced between practiced fingers over the crowd,
A half tube of lipstick passed in front of a grimy mirror,
Hips moving behind hips sharing sweat and memories.

And the heat eased by a cold blanket of night air and fingertips passing half a Marlboro Gold,
caught between index and middle finger, stitching me to this moment and this person,
and this smudged shared lipstick. 

But the night is a blanket and I wrap myself in it.

Audio recording of ‘Intertwine’, written and read by Alice Godliman

Alice Godliman

Alice is a poet, writer, performer and workshop facilitator based in Manchester, who’s performed for International Women’s Day and Reclaim the Night, as well as events around London, Manchester and at the Edinburgh Fringe. You can find more of her work in the anthology Let Me Know When You’re Home, as well as Blood Orange Tarot, Twist in Time Mag, or at @alicegodliman on Twitter or Instagram.

Support Dear Damsels

Words are empowering – not only for the women who write them, but those who read them too.

Join our Patreon and help us continue to offer an inclusive and welcoming space for women to come together, share their words, and get a resounding response back.

Sign up to our Patreon