explaining poetry to my grandmother

I do not say
“I write about myself”
because it sounds pretentious to say

my bones crash into
stanza,
where piles of powdery rubble
tearing my own physical structure apart—
++++++++++ –limb by limb—
++++++++++ –finger by finger—
but building
pretty

I do not say
“I write about myself”
because it sounds pretentious to say

I am hurting but
it is pretty

 

 

About the Poet:
Sarah Valeika is a poet whose works have been featured in Red Fez, Fem Fiction, The Noisy Island, Navigating the Maze and A Quiet Courage, among other e-journals. She has finally discovered that poetry happens when your words are at their ugliest. When the void screams at you, and you scream right back. When you have nothing left to say but thank you.

 

 

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