// metal earrings // by Katherine Zhao (16, New York)

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i.
verdigris festers on the cleft // mossy spiderwebs spiral from the orifice
​blood rusts the hook // iron corrodes the tarnished silver
withered skin peels into fractals // drought disfigures my complexion 

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ii.
faded amethyst hooks itself upon my ear // forbidden fruit dangles from a dying tree
scratched pearls encircle my cartilage // winding snake claims its nest
heavy obsidian intercepts the light // blackened blossoms left to wither
​
iii.
nests for the beetles // burrows for the ants
creeping through the cracks // finding comfort the raw stench of iron
bodies mating to decay // until dried shells adorn the lost shrine
of dead treasure // of deceitful grace
of the fruits of rapture // of faded beauty

of the resting angel
wearing the mask of death 

​Katherine Zhao is a 16-year-old rising high school junior residing on Long Island, New York. She has been writing poetry and short stories ever since since her early years, and is committed to depicting the unfiltered teenage experience through her writing. She also serves as a member of the editing committee of her school’s literary magazine and as an editor of her school newspaper.