chewing by Andrea (15, California)

​what a carnal act chewing is, to turn my mouth violent around matter;
to expose my ceramic insides and flush with guilt. and God, what hubris
I must have, to revolve the sun around my tongue and not swallow,

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​cursing God for the tangled yarn in my stomach while ignoring the hands
He gave me to unspool them with. instead, I will knot my insides to create
needles; I will make horrors out of the softness that sheds in my gut.