New Philosopher – July 2019

it’s8.47amandi’vealreadybrokenmymother’sheart.

i listenedyesterday,

asintelligentpeoplespokeaboutthefact

thatwithoutanythingelsehappening,

butthegrowingupthatis inevitable,

allparentswillhavetheirheartsbrokenbytheirchildren

it didn’tmakemefeelanybetter

as i heardcrackssplinterandgrowandbreakintosomanytinyfragments

it’s8.47andit’salreadytime

tolayeggshellsonthefloor,

arrangingthemdelicatelyinshapes

sturdyenoughtosteponasi

treadaroundthiswoundedvitalorgan

i cradlethepiecesinmyhands

asthetimeticksoverto8.55

liketheking’shorsesandmen,

i willneverbeabletoputbacktogether

thatwhichi havebroken

nobandagesnorbacktrackingcanrejointissuefissured

bytheambiguouslossof

progenyturnedperson

HIGHLYCOMMENDED

WRITERS’ AWARD XXIII:
BEING HUMAN

Writers’ Award XXIII: being human

growing

pains

by Leona Hannah Cohen