a cormorant flickers across the water
a flying fish skimming the surface
at ease with itself wingtips
causing ripples
ever so often
the bird's sinuous form never slipping
below the glassy lake
yet never rising above it, far above and unable to see
shadows of minnows
in balance in parallel
a girl leans close to the mirror
the reflection drawing her in
in side so close that her
held breath
held tight in her knotted chest
fogging the glass
she picks and pulls
tugging at herself
undoing peeling pushing
tearing away the skin to let a new
baby-soft fresh layer appear
each darkened pore is examined
and excised nails act like scalpels
that worm out the rot within flesh
each spiral of oil that emerges
eases the knot loosens her insides
she is alice looking so deep
she falls through the glass to follow
a mad hatter of desire
a gunshot echoes trembles the lake
duck hunters.
the cormorant dips ever so slightly
soaks its wings in a missed beat misstep
a door slams downstairs
shakes the paper-thin housewalls
the girl is torn away from
herself back to her self
YOU ARE READING
metamorphosis
Poetrya collection of poetry written during quarantine, the tumultuous 2020 school year, and the entering into a post-covid world. randomly updated.
