The Intimacy of Morning Menses I am coming, she saysarriving in the lower back, clawing Punching holes in skin, rising in redsher colour spectrum ripe Pay attention to me, she whisperscrawling in the abdomen, knifing She grips the mind and stirs ittakes away its clarity I am here, she exclaimsplanting in the ovaries, raking She… Continue reading #NPM22 – The Intimacy of Morning Menses
#NPM22 – The Intimacy of the Pepper Spray Incident
The Intimacy of the Pepper Spray IncidentA hiabun the knock on the door says hurryhurryhurryonce opened, it is a mouth swallowing fire two teens, male, one shirtlesseyes bursting angry redstears and snot and terror I take an elbow, skin coldbody shiveringlead him to the bathroom sink J takes the otherleads a curving spineto the kitchen… Continue reading #NPM22 – The Intimacy of the Pepper Spray Incident
#NPM22 – The (Secret) Intimacy of the Photograph
The (Secret) Intimacy of the Photograph it is me and it is not meI transfix on the profile of An Otherwith my legs, covered in rose-garden pantyhose a shape a size a landscape, unfamiliarto my mind’s mirroryet there I amme but not me such displacementor dysmorphia orsuch rabid ability to despisedisrespect, such refusal of acceptancea… Continue reading #NPM22 – The (Secret) Intimacy of the Photograph
#NPM22 – The Intimacy of Crying Alone When You’re Sad
The Intimacy of Crying Alone When You’re Sad the body afflicted, undoing – shakingout sorrowlong veins of pain peelingoff the heartinternal hemorrhage abundance tears like song chorus – redundantrhinorrhea release – a bath ofrebalancethe exaltation ofanimal sounds the liturgy of sobbingsadness on her knees,rubbing your back
VANESSA SHIELDS 