Paper Boat by Devyn Stokdyk (17, California)

the boat I made did not take all night
but I folded and taped
as I licked my paper cuts
my eyes propped open with pins
and when it floated in the pond
my stomach capsized upon itself
​watching it float idly along behind the others 

---

and the kitchen bathed in sunlight
as we beat eggs and wiped flour on the tips of each others noses
and you whisked lazily
while I beat my eggs till they ran
and I saw your reflection in the oven’s glow
as you saw my mess oozing and dripping onto your perfect batter
and I hung up my apron and left without a word
whistles blew
I ran until my ankles bled
until my heart whimpered and begged
until I collapsed beneath my feet
and I fell down down down
and when I looked up I saw them all cross the finish line
without breaking a sweat
then the ink sack placed within my ribs collapsed
and painted my cage black
and so I dipped a quill into the void
and I started to write about all that I lacked 
Devyn Stokdyk is 17 and going into her senior year of highschool. She lives in California. She's attended an Oxford writing program and Kenyon Young Writers program online.