xii. poem: my body is a temple

Dear readers,

Poetry is an artform that grabs ahold of me again & again. This poem poured out of my heart and into my fingertips several months ago, and it feels like it's time to share it. I hope you enjoy. <3

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© 2025 Lauren Humble. All rights reserved. Do not copy or reproduce without permission.

my body is a temple

by: l.e. humble

my body is a temple — 

not in the biblical way 

of no tattoos or sex

but in how it stands: 

strong and regal

opening its doors

and letting souls in,

closing them again

when it’s reached capacity. 

some days it glitters in the sun

windows gleaming with color

and others

it simply stands there

as tourists pass by 

and move on to the next

my body carries stories

of confessions and prayers

the kind that sound like:

am I the only one? 

and 

please grant me peace

it gently witnesses movement & change 

as people come and go 

leaving their imprints and narratives

on the seats of its pews

it’s the type of place you enter

and think:

this place has soul

as you sit down 

and quietly look around 

my body shows wear and tear

inside and out

with dusty corners exhibiting their age

and structures that whisper: 

we’ve been through a lot 

so please tread softly

on a lucky day 

if you show up at the right time

you might hear triumphant music,

its overtones echoing through the halls

entering into your soul 

through goose-bumpy skin

there’s room for joy and pain 

because it has witnessed it all 

its structure wide enough 

to create containers 

yet bearing walls that say

here I begin and here I end

my body is a temple

enter with care.