all I remember of that summer
is acrid storm on tongue, and
anxiety. funny how I thought diffidence
would make me more likeable; funny how
I thought filling myself with water and
watermelon would make me more
loveable. as if bony wrists
and empty hands could catch
your eye, without breaking—or with.
funny how the snail thinks itself safe
before the light swallows it up; watch how
the anglerfish contorts itself around prey,
manipulative til the end, and feasts.
funny how I bite down on nothing.
Iris Yu is a Chinese-American student from Ohio. Her work is forthcoming or published in Sine Theta, The Heritage Review, and the Pulitzer Center. She is an alumna of the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference (’19) and the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio (’20).