By: Maggie Cantara

Reach inside my chest

Peel out this beaten 

Heart of mine place 

Her in the hands of 

A table 

not for surgery 

For exposure 

To vulnerability 

Grab the neck

Of a whiskey bottle

Smash it against 

Her like CPR 

This is how sacrifice feels

shards cut 

Away every sad smile

Any guilt

Any kiss 

Every taste 

Connect the wires

You took from her  

Flood them with bleach

Clean up this 

Murder scene 

Dating back to 

The death of a friend 

Don’t fear blood

dripping from 

My knuckles

Just to 

Watch it fall

To

Watch her fall

Send a reminder

fight this 

That we do this to survive

embrace 

Courage 

We don’t cower 

Under pressure 

invite it in 

No need for a kickstart

She’s made immense progress

Since

Her first arrest 

There will be no

Struggle for breath

 like a

Stranded fish

Under a rock

Tie the seaweed

Into a bow

captivate her beauty 

She’s taken hits like this

For a lifetime 

But she will never

Allow herself 

To die because 

You couldn’t stand to 

See her live a life

Full, and happy 

Without you.

Illustration by Morgan Dyer