Bones

I lived for it then

The shaky

Stop-movementesque

Thrill of it

Earning it

Mental arithmetic

Months’ meals in spreadsheets

Fibre

Then Charcoal

(it absorbed the smell)

I loved

My womb stripped

Digested breasts

My ribs like a shipwreck

Absolved of the swell

I earned it

Your horror

Lived for it

Then

Prey

“I could kiss you

if you like, I mean

if it would help”

She whispers

Scanning through lashes

For idle plectrums

Bitten, torn cuffs

Filthier minds

To work with

And I guess it’s not clear that

Her teeth were cut late

Praying for one boy, for

Just one boy to

Stop

See

Gather her into

The woman she wasn’t

But could be

So then you don’t know that

One boy did

Stop

See

Gather her breast up into his palm

When a friend’s back was turned and

Told her straight up

“You’re no woman

But,

Tits like that

Half-decent mouth

Who knows?

Enough work

Pigs fly…”

So she listened

Learned well

Thrilled in his care

To a tightly whorled bud

In his blankets

Swelling beneath his

Penchant for protest

Ache for invasion

Repeating

Repeating you

Whorecuntwhoredirtslutdirtwhorecuntslutdirtwhoreyou

Earned this you

Earned this you

Could

“Fuck me

If you want”

She whispers to strangers

Bursts

When they come

Wastes

Once they leave

Laura Cleary is a poet and writer (among other things) living in Dublin. Her poetry has appeared in a number of publications including wordlegs, Outburst, can can and Bare Hands Poetry Her poem “Breaking Point” was shortlisted for the 2011 iYeats Emerging Talent Award, and she was a featured poet in the recent Ash Wednesday series in Ranelagh, Dublin. She received first prize in the inaugural Heart in Mouth competition for her performance of her poem “Note to a Mislaid Friend”.  Her first play “And You Expect Me To..?” was featured as part of 10 Days in Dublin 2013 and is available to view here.

She currently lives in Dublin with her partner Colm and an extensive nail polish collection. 

lauraclearypoetry