I fell into the pond,
body pearled and flickering.
A painless death would be a
miracle, something to bear.
The night pretended vulnerability
and even this was too much.
I collected my glossy truths;
I pretended this would not last.
I was still learning to live but then,
this happened and I want to know why.
My tongue lay trapped, lazy like a
frog boiling in its sweat.
I hungered for melted chocolate
as my fear stained the water.
The upturned faces of our mothers
shone in the light. It was hard to
apologize for this intentional mistake.
I had to tear apart the truth, maybe
dress it up like a ghost story.
I buttered my lips so it would slide
out easily. Late that night, I walked
back into the pond. Leaves swirled
around my ankles as I floated,
dress dragging me down.
Rachana Hegde is an 18 year old Indian writer from Hong Kong. Her poetry has appeared in DIALOGIST, Diode Poetry Journal, and The Blueshift Journal. Her work has been recognized by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and nominated for Best of the Net. Find her at www.rachanahegde.weebly.com.