Raw

Violet Myles

You never know how empty you are
until you pluck every bone
from your ribcage

and stare at your naked hollowness,
like a dead tree.

If I showed up at your doorstep
with my bones in my palms,
broken and bloody,
would you let me in?

Would you rub my back
and give me a warm bed?
Would you touch my bark
and tell me I am soft?

BIO: Violet Myles is a poet and creative non-fiction writer originally from Philadelphia. Now living in Toronto, she splits her time between teaching kids how to cook, knitting, and oversharing online. You can find more of her work on her Substack: ‘We Can’t All Live on Memorable Streets‘.

issue 1, poetry, violet myles