Girly

by Zoe Odessa

My heart is too big for my body / So you take a piece and hold it under your tongue / Hair
between fingers, criss-crossing / (weaving I love you I love you I love you) / into the back of
your head / Peals of laughter, choking sobs, stony silences / Head to toe on your bed /
breathing in time / You’d kill for me / I’d kill for you / Halving clementines and sharing gum /
He doesn’t deserve you / You stick your fingers down my throat / To clear out the dust /
Hold my hair back as I retch / Then kneel as if in prayer / So I may hold back yours / And yes
there are moments / Stretches / Of silence / Of wondering / Where have you gone / But you
spring back / as ever / And our hearts meld as one again and / Forever 

Zoe Odessa (she/her) is a 23-year-old poet and writer who wishes to be utterly consumed by words. Currently based in Cairns, Australia, on Yirrganydji land, she is at the tail end of her USYD B.A in English Literature. She loves difficult women and challenging feminist literature. She has previously had poetry published in Sour Cherry Mag. You can find her on her instagram @zoe_odessa_