When Will My Body Be Mine?
poetry by Julia Rose Merante
When Will My Body Be Mine?
One day I will read my margins, & all the lies I have told. One day I will understand the rot that stains my cervix, & the back of my throat. One day I will see that there are many ways to become bruised, & there are many ways to write my own tombstone, & there are many ways to write to the children I never had. One day I will learn how to unmake a body & one day I will discover that no one has to smile in heaven. One day I will drink the tears that fall in my tea & one day I will learn how to walk quickly & keep my head down. One day I will learn how to check behind me in the dark & how not to flinch when I see my own shadow. One day I will realize that fruits only ripen to die. One day –
Julia Rose Merante
Julia Rose is a senior Creative Writing major at SUNY Geneseo in upstate NY. She has minors in both Biology and Human Development. With this, she hopes to earn her MFA next year, and she will continue to write femme poetry, as she always has. In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies with her mom, and waitressing at a crepe cafe.