Sixteen

Cherry

By Jewel Serpent

Wed, 27 May 2015
  • 1706 reads
8 comments
 

Sixteen years ago, I stumbled into the world.

A little purple, lips still blue, hairless head

Buttocks slick with afterbirth

I filled my lungs

Others warmed and weighed me

 

Inside my mother it was kind of nice

Bloody endless backstroke

One race you never lose...

At night, laying my barely-formed head

against the operculum of her hip

 

I call myself partially accidental:

the by-product of anaesthetic sex

 

I turned out the opposite of everything

At sixteen, it is easier to make them believe I exist.

I tell them I am real.

They believe me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Certificate 15
Poem

Comments

Submitted by VeraClark on

This is really affecting. I think the 'one race you never lose' should be a fullstop statement rather than an elipsis because it feels as though you're telling us that with verve. There's delicacy, it's earthy, some uncertainty, a spot of iceberg effect. It's lovely. Good to see you here. 

 

Submitted by Jewel Serpent on

Thanks, Vera, for your extremely encouraging comments, and also for the constructive feedback. Good to see you, too :)

Submitted by love_writing on

I enjoyed this. Some great lines such as 'buttocks slick with afterbirth' and 'bloody endless backstroke'. I can visualise those! The last stanza is poignant. Well deserving of those cherries :) 

love_writing

Submitted by Jewel Serpent on

Thank you! Glad you got something out of this.

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

We were all this once, strange.  Lovely birthday reminder of what we are.

Submitted by Jewel Serpent on

Cheers smiley

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Missed this one before, JS.  A gem indeed, and a wake-up call. Good to see you posting again.

Tina

 

Submitted by Jewel Serpent on

Thanks, Tina!