Jenna Lasby

THINGS I NEVER KNEW WERE GENETIC

things I never knew were genetic:
tearing labels off cereal boxes,
tattooing scarlet letters on old lovers,
women twice my age, fear, fatalism,
missing out on Jesus, trying to meet him.

strung myself together
with bird bones to levitate
melted my organs into viscous liquid
to drown,
hips sharpened to knives,
sailor-knotted double helixes
springing back into shape.

in the delivery room
did you picture me growing
up to turn my body
into a weapon, a cemetery, a museum?
you passed down pain and told me it was a myth,
so I made sure it looked like it hurt.

I’m going to smile razors
when they tie my tubes
at least I can become
the wound.

back to contents

prev
next