My happy nude queer Body by xocean alexandre

xocean alexandre | @indigomoonartist

xocean alexandre | @indigomoonartist

I am a moon gazing, middle aged, dark chocolate dipped orange peel, sunrise enthusiast.

One of my favorite places to be is listening to the whipper wills on a brisk mountain morning, watching Venus ascend into sunrise. 

I am an artist, an astrologer, a griever, an observer. I love watching the Earth move from the perspective of the sky. I am a neurodivergent, trans, non-binary femme. I use ze/they, them, their pronouns. 

This moment captures  an unseasonably warm, New Year’s Day upon the Ivy River in southern Appalachia. 

I am standing  within the roots of an elder tree on the 2nd annual “Happy Nude Queer” photoshoot, captured by my adventure buddy, eLm. 

On this day, I am honoring and celebrating my body. This body underwent major surgery a few months prior. A lot of the emotional preparation, contemplation and healing of this surgery, was done within this forest. 

I buried the tissue of my breasts in a hole by a grand-elder tree. I covered it with moss and garnet. 

I planted a bulb of garlic and deep woes within that hole. 

This body had a spinal injury a few months prior, and couldn’t stand longer than 2 minutes at a time.  Uneven ground made me nauseous, and rattled my spine. 

This body has moved 6 times since March 2020. My nervous system has been in a constant rhythm of flight or fight. This body is tender, and tired, and craves to feel the ancient earth of decayed bones -- the dirt from the tips of deep roots. 

This moment captures the joy of being able to walk to this point here. I crossed a creek that sometimes rages, and moves boulders and tree trunks further down the bank. 

I felt the sun upon my naked skin, my scars, my nude scalp. I shaved my head the day Venus stationed retrograde, I needed to release all of the debris that had been caught up in my hair follicles. 

This moment is a moment of joy. I love having my photo taken by eLm. They take their time, and play with shadows. I love the sensation the frigid water of a mountain stream numbing my toes.

This body, my heart, my breath, needed to be held by these roots.