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.
