Featured art by Egle Plytnikaite
my body is a bleeding boat
there’s firecrackers and soft stones bursting out of my womb and onto the footpath;
the cracking noise was my ribs,
in case you were wondering.
my body is a bleeding boat
it swells and the limbs spread like they were crucified with gold nails,
i am not allowed to condemn my conveniences even if they sprout from a place of privilege,
privilege will be snatched from my bare hands dare I take a stand for my sisters,
mister, there’s only so much I will endure.
my body is a bleeding boat
on an ocean of white light, the stains i leave behind mean nothing to you,
the stains i leave behind only make you scowl with disgust,
the stains i leave behind only remind you of injuries, scars, violence, wars.
my body is a bleeding boat
i am fighting my own limbs, my own skin, my own
i am fighting to produce blood, reproduce your blood, bruise under your boiled blood
my fingers can’t help but tremble from all the pulsating, raging blood,
this is not your blood, not pure blood,
at least i bleed in silence, unlike your violent hands waiting to procure blood.
my body is a bleeding boat
it’s cutting out the oxygen supply, it’s contracting in itself,
it’s a harmonized prayer, mistaken to be a witch’s spell,
it’s being hunted, torn apart, under-diagnosed
it’s “seeking attention” on a phenomena so trivial,
your capitalism can’t benefit from it
it’s bleeding blood that can’t be marketed like blood
because red makes your pious bull stomp its feet, makes its angry nostrils flare on female recognition
but blue is the blood of your consumers and blue is the blood of royalty.
my body is a bleeding boat,
my body is shrinking, expanding, rusting, suffering,
my body is claustrophobic in itself,
my body is a bleeding boat and i am assessing it for damage control.
By Vaishnavi Sharma
Vaishnavi is a 19-year-old student, walking through life losing her pens, temper, paints, mind, etc. She likes to talk (a lot) about poetry, history, sciences, and politics. Can always be found with her nose in between the pages of a book, uninterested in the torments of this world. She is the EIC of Ayaskala, a reader of both Homology Lit and Marías at Sampaguitas. Her work has appeared in Marías at Sampaguitas, Headcanon Magazine and TeenBelle Magazine. She writes at www.umvaishnavi.wordpress.com.
Twitter: @um.vaishnavi
Instagram: @delusionalchaos