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For a Price

By: Kate Ginger

Art by: Lauren Kang


i’m facedown in the snow and 

your hands never felt kinder

under my skin

remember whenyouscorchedmyback 

and told me i flew too close to the sun

should have listened to you, daddy

instead my shoulder blades bulge into wings

and i land on the moon

in a crater of forgone conclusions 

how dare you s h a t t e r me once,

and pocket my underwear 

ice in the fireplace

the price of forgiveness





i’m lost again

i can’t remember the shade of your eyes

metaphorically in your arms

fingers 

laced 

     with 

        poison

the color of 

             infatuation 

the feeling of 

          biting 

your lip the taste of  

               burning

don’t dear diary me

then make me “daddy” you what–

. about the dishes stacked 

once s t a c k e d 

in the cupboard

s  h  a t tered on the kitchen tile 


don’t you remember

forgiveness is a vial of blood

and misplaced intentionality 


i put you back together 

black hole baby

i’m sorry for my un welcome tears

im h o l d i n g onto youholdingme

why can’t i leave 

a bruise

i’m drowning— 

you need me to be

born again,

wings and all

this time

be careful of the sun 

you said

remember when 

you hurled my regret 

into the gaping hole in your chest

you’re picking up shards of glass

from that night 

wheneverything s h a t t e  r  e   d

busted on the rim 

of desire

your hand brushed my cheek  

and yanked a chandelier from the ceiling


i’m ripe and rotting 

in a pile of crushed cans

and soiled dreams

mangled by love, coddled by guilt

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