She has had a glimpse of heaven
and will not be denied
they try to feed her
and she can feel it slipping
her rage is righteous
it is perfect
she does not want to be good
when perfection is possible
they tell her she is beautiful
but she knows they lie
they have given up
but she will not, ever
she wants to be edge-on to the world
sharp enough to cut reality
she wants to be thin enough
to slip through the gaps in the railings
and fly perfect in the garden
where girls don’t have to touch the ground
ever, ever
Adrian Salmon lives in Bingley, West Yorkshire. Adrian’s first pamphlet, Moonlight through the Velux window, was published by Yaffle Press in June 2019. Adrian’s poems have appeared in Algebra of Owls, I am not a silent poet, Ink Sweat & Tears, Poetry24, Prole, and Strix.