This is the river

Words by Ronia Ibrahim (she/her)

This is the river.

This is the river where we drink from // where we wash our clothes // where we cry. This is the river that sounds like a flute at night, and a drum in the morning. The river is loud and can only be heard at octaves arranged on pillars of blue.

When babies are born, we dip them into the water, let them kick their toes against the cold rush so that they know what the world feels like.

This is the river where my dad used to play // where his dad used to play // and his, and his. This is the river I became queen. I ruled here for centuries, and everyone respected me. This is my kingdom.

This is where I let my imagination run wild, like a babe in the meadow, no pants no nothing, just skin and the reeds. This is the soft and slicing // the first blood // red like a symphony // that we watch from plush velvet chairs and high balconies. This is the best seat in the house.

This is how it goes // round the village, under the bridge // the way it goes the braiding: you and i and // you and them and // my mother // and her mother // and hers, and hers. After all, this is the river. Run wild, baby-makers, rockets, and whispers, against all odds, against all grass, headfirst, toes second.

This is where we stop to admire the scenery, and think, this is the pain of being lucky, this is the reason why we’re here. They don’t get that we were made from this river, they don’t get that this is what the world feels like. And when they told us to go back to where we came from, we went to the river, and the river cloaked us in the finest silk, sang us a song, and told us to make ourselves home.

Your wallet? Dry. Your pockets? Empty. Bank account? Drained. Whatever you did over the weekend, I hope you enjoyed that night out ‘cause your ASB is crying.

Why you always at the gym, Taurus? We never see you. You’re always busy. You never come get food or go out for drinks cause you’re too busy ‘getting gains’. Boring.

The amount of time and energy you’ve had to put into work recently is killing your sense of self. Your constant fatigue doesn’t correlate with your identity of being the care-free, spontaneous one.

Did you forget something important and only remember at the very last minute? If not, there may be a Zoom meeting or an assignment you won't remember until five minutes before it’s due.

The veil has been revealed and the truth is out. Something you wanted to be kept secret from your friends is now known, and they’re giving you the side-eye.

A sense of a much needed direction is coming back to you. You got a bit confused recently and started acting up, but you’re recalibrating and now know how to get your life back on track.

I dunno what to say to you Libra. I feel like you’re always turning to me for answers. I’m just a person with an ephemeris, god damnit! I don’t know everything! Stop digesting so much woo-woo. It ain’t good for you.

OMG. Scorpio, what is it with you and public indecency? If I didn’t know any better, I’d accuse you of having sex in the workplace. This has ‘getting caught with your pants down in the broom closet’ energy.

Sag, are you secretly hoping you’ll get covid? What is it you’re trying to avoid? Stop being problematic and face your issues head on. Is it a presentation? It won’t be that bad…

Stop being mean to your sibling! Well, it could be someone else's, maybe a friend’s or a partner’s, but either way! I love you Capricorn, but you’re channelling mean-girl at the moment.

I can’t figure you out this week, Aquarius. You’re either scrolling through sugar daddy websites tryna sus yourself a new Vivienne Westwood necklace, or you’re the scammer poppin' into Instagram dms. Sugar daddy or sugar baby? Who knows?

You’re a parental disappointment this week. Not to be harsh. That’s not even necessarily a bad thing. I have a hunch your folks are a bit uptight and have weird or demanding expectations.