Poetry by K. McNeil

      Dane Van CC




peasant girl –

well here i am in a stranger’s house
with an axe and a broken-body-promise
splayed out on the floor / the devil is dead
and i am finally free / his head is heavy 
and hot in my hands / silky hair sticky but 
the blood is hard to see / and for a moment 
he is still there / mouth to my ear with the 
blackest eyes and sharpest teeth pressed 
like diamonds against the skin of me / his 
voice is a heavy god / a cold body jumping 
beneath my shaking hands / and suddenly i remember that day we made the deal and i took him by the face and pressed my mouth to his / wondering if devils too feel surprise / the nervous rush of a stranger’s tongue in their mouth / and i hear too those promises from when he found love in me / of ruddy cheeks and swollen summer stars / the world bulbous and blue on a platter / would that not have been nice and would i not have been happy forever / then he took too much and pushed too far and god / did i not fear for the whole of me and the shape of my heart in his hands / i took his head clean off i left him cold and ran home / to be free

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K. McNeil grew up in Los Angeles, and is currently studying creative writing at Chapman University. She has been writing fiction and poetry from before she can remember, and loves all things fantasy. Her hot take is that fairies are probably real, but that’s something she keeps to herself for the most part.