we race to the car
our clothes soaked inside out
the water droplets on your skin whispered
“lick me”
a puddle rests in your collar bone i—
how did the bubble we so carefully sewed
pink and blue threaded through
split down the middle
crack open
we were glass
that i touched the wrong way
and we shattered into nine million shards
hot tears
roll down my face
my heart wells up with smoke
like there’s a
shadow
trying to fill in the
cracks
you made
everything in the atmosphere clamps down
your tongue in my mouth
spills
red
blue
not even the clouds could catch the petrol you poured down my throat
i
am
standing
in a giant car park
with glass all around my feet
Do you know how to put these
pieces together?
Where can we even start?
the inside of my bones
peel
like the skin of an orange
shuddering inhales
hold my body together
a smooth breath
and i would melt
like hot rubber on pavement
I wish I had died sometimes
the first week i imagined getting hit by a cta bus everyday
Anne Shook (they, she) is an actor, director, poet, and recent graduate of DePaul University (BFA Acting and BA in Communications and Media). During their time in undergrad, they started self-publishing their work online. The Orange Couch is their first professional publication and they are stoked to be a part of Issue 4. Anne enjoys spending time on the beach and advocating for survivors of sexual violence and LGBTQ rights.