Anatomy

my bones are the 

tusks of elephants

taken by hunters who have 

an absence of benevolence

carved ivory, ripped from a being 

that didn’t deserve to be taken apart

innocent and selfless, left 

undisturbed with a cold heart

my skeletons are right when 

you walk into my room, and

if I drink lots of water, flowers 

in my ribcage will start to bloom

I keep a couple in my closet 

and hold them hostage inside

let nature take its course,

buried bones become fossilized

the fishbones you 

find in your salmon 

the claw worn around your

neck, a birds of prey talon

the other bones of 

various animals you find 

at the pet store for the 

puppies that teethe, 

and bones from the 

unused part of meat

these bones, connected 

from my skull to my feet

my bones, this 

unfamiliar territory, 

this consolidated piece 

of flesh around me

my skin, 

my body, 

finding comfort 

worn in anatomy

- Leah Rae