the hard animal of her body
the woman next to me
shows me her bones
she delves into her bag
and pulls them out
to show me the strongest
and how it was broken
you know like a tree she says
when they cut it like this
and she lifts her hand at the wrist
to show the angle for felling
it should never have happened
it’s meant to be strong
Laura McKee‘s poems have appeared in various journals in print and online including The Rialto, Under the Radar, Ink Sweat & Tears, And Other Poems, and anthologised by The Emma Press and Smith|Doorstop. Find her on Twitter: @LauraMcKee_fyeh