safety through ugliness
the phone cover sheds
its tired skin
while I eat
a sandwich late.
hunger sits beside me,
loyal as a dog,
waiting for the command
to leave.
I say stay.
it stays.
I say live.
it looks away,
like I am asking too much.
~ Oizys.
Word count: 44
Written for dVerse Quadrille #248 – This One’s Gone to the Dogs By whimsygizmo on May 18, 2026.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
[dVerse] May 18th - safety through ugliness
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Oh, MY. This hits, hard. I did a paper in high school on anorexia, and this poem could very well be a perfect description of it, among other things. The conflict here (whatever it may be) is so strong, from title to end. Well done.
ReplyDeleteDe
I got the gist of the poem but you brought it more into focus De. 🙏
DeleteThank you, De. I really appreciate this reading. Yes, anorexia is definitely one of the shadows near the poem, though I was also thinking about control, visibility, shame, safety, appetite, and all the strange negotiations a body makes with the world. So, I am grateful you read it with such care.
DeleteTo shaun: I always love when a poem opens a slightly different door for each reader.
DeleteEating alone... sounds so sad
ReplyDeleteNot for everyone. I usually just eat for nourishment. In a different life (for me), maybe. I know what you mean.
DeleteIt can sound sad, yes. Though sometimes eating alone is peaceful. Sometimes it can be protective. And, sometimes lonely too. And sometimes all three on the same plate!
DeleteTo shaun: I get that! Eating can be such a complicated thing depending on where one is standing in life, where their body is, what the memories are, or the state of appetite/hunger. “Just nourishment” is its own kind of relationship too!
DeleteA sharp and powerful write 👏
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, shaun.
Delete