kintsugi
movement flickers
under the pale sheet of SSRIs.
the sharpest parts of my fingers
dig into my palm,
excavating crescents
in bruised shades of purple.
i hold a galaxy in my hand.
the elixir glazes my gut
in nauseating swirls.
my chained beast squirms
where alchemy tinkers.
its fickle teeth burrow
into the wood of my flesh.
scarlet punctures expose infestation.
shadows of its larger self
linger, betrayed
by capsule-shaped dust.
flecks of sun seep inside
vacant jigsaws, lacquering
the horizon of my body.
i mend myself with gold.
Grace Anderson is currently studying English at Metropolitan State University.
"kintsugi" was selected by Stephanie L. Harper as one of 2019's AWP: Intro Journals Project Winners, a literary competition for the discovery and publication of the best new works by students currently enrolled in AWP member programs. More information about the program can be found here.